Serbian media unions condemn registration of new director as takeover alarms newsrooms

Trade unions representing staff at several Serbian newsrooms condemned this week the registration of Pedro Vargas Santos David as director of multiple outlets that operate within the Adria News Network group. The unions say the move, carried out by the company identified as Alpak Kapital, places Nova.rs, Radar, N1, Forbes and Danas under the same directorship without prior notice to employees.

In a written statement the unions warned that the change took place "in the middle of the summer holidays, without any notice to employees, which caused even greater concern." They added that it is alarming that Pedro Vargas is listed as the new director while United Fiber Sarl — a company that works or worked within UG — still appears as the owner.

Unions fear a rushed takeover and editorial interference

The unions argued that, "from this it can be concluded that the Portuguese company is hurrying to take over Nova.rs, Radar, N1 and Danas as soon as possible, without first obtaining all the necessary permits and approvals from the competent institutions," and that, with the backing of BC partners who are co-owners of UG, replacements of senior newsroom staff have already begun.

Journalists at the affected outlets say they are worried the personnel changes will continue, with the intention of aligning remaining independent editorial teams with the preferences of what they described as the current regime. The newsroom staff insisted that changes in management and ownership will not alter their editorial line while their editorial teams remain intact: "The editorial stance, however, is clear — changes in leadership positions and in ownership structure will not affect editorial policy, our professional approach to journalism and integrity. As long as our newsrooms operate in this composition."

The unions have asked for an immediate meeting with the new director and demand written guarantees that editorial policy and the positions of editors and journalists will not be affected. They called for those guarantees to be provided in writing and for discussions to begin without delay.

The episode adds to mounting concerns about media independence in the region as corporate reshuffles within transnational media groups raise questions about who ultimately controls editorial decisions and how swiftly ownership and management changes can be implemented.

Photo: Sam Hood / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)