27th October 2026 2026
Due to years of violations of media laws and professional ethics, campaigns against dissenting voices, and propaganda activities in support of the former government, an initiative requesting the launch of proceedings to revoke TV Informer’s broadcasting licence was submitted today to the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM). The initiative was submitted by the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation and 32 other media associations, civil society organisations, professors and researchers in journalism and social sciences from universities in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš.
TV Informer has continuously violated media regulations, professional standards, the Constitution and ratified international treaties. Since its establishment, this tabloid has positioned itself as a propaganda instrument of the Serbian Progressive Party and has consistently ranked among the worst offenders in terms of violations of professional ethics, the spread of disinformation, hate speech and smear campaigns against dissenters, independent journalists, activists and opposition figures, both in print and on television.
In October alone, REM’s Expert Service identified 11 instances in which TV Informer violated the law, including two serious breaches of election-related regulations. However, this prompted no response from the REM Council: although 38 complaints were filed against TV Informer last year alone, not a single measure was imposed on the broadcaster. Meanwhile, Montenegro’s Agency for Electronic Media took action, banning the broadcasting of TV Informer in Montenegro for six months due to content inciting hatred, intolerance and discrimination.
According to data from the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, more than 1,000 court proceedings are currently pending against Insajder Tim, the publisher of TV Informer, most of them concerning violations of the Law on Public Information and Media. In 70 per cent of cases concluded by final and binding judgments, courts found violations of rights protected under this law.
Neither final court judgments nor compensation payments have led to any changes in Informer’s editorial practices or the content it publishes daily. This indicates that Informer’s conduct is not a matter of occasional mistakes. Rather, hate speech, the targeting of public and private individuals, the incitement of national and religious hatred, the disclosure of personal data, and the continuous violation of media regulations and professional standards constitute the very editorial policy of this media outlet, which it has shown no intention of abandoning.
Freedom of expression is guaranteed only insofar as its exercise does not disproportionately interfere with the fundamental rights, freedoms and legally protected interests of others. Freedom of expression, as well as the right to seek and disseminate information, may be restricted by law when such restrictions are necessary in a democratic society to protect those rights and freedoms.
The European Court of Human Rights has already confirmed that revoking a television channel’s broadcasting licence following repeated and serious failures to ensure political pluralism and balance in its programming did not constitute a violation of the right to freedom of expression.
The state and the regulatory authority have an obligation to ensure that citizens have access to impartial and reliable information through radio and television, to safeguard diversity of opinions expressed through these media, and to protect the public from harmful journalistic practices and misleading or inaccurate information that incites hatred, intolerance and discrimination.
REM must urgently overcome its institutional deadlock and address the issue of TV Informer. It has the necessary powers, and its own Expert Service has already provided the evidence. We will monitor REM’s response to this initiative and keep the public informed of every step taken.
Link to the initiative in Serbian is HERE.
Signatories to the Initiative
Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
Staff of the Department of Media Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad
Staff of the Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš
Prof. Dr Aleksandra Krstić, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Prof. Dr Katarina Lončarević, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Prof. Dr Jelena Lončar, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Prof. Dr Dušan Spasojević, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Asst. Prof. Dr Ana Milojević, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Asst. Prof. Dr Marijana Matović, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Prof. Dr Natalija Perišić, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Prof. Dr Anita Burgund Isakov, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Asst. Prof. Dr Biljana Đorđević, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Prof. Dr Đorđe Pavićević, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
Dr Jelena Kleut, Communication Studies Scholar
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)
Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)
Media Association
Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)
European Movement in Serbia
Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM)
Trade Union of Culture, Arts and Media “Nezavisnost” (UGS KUM Nezavisnost)
Civic Initiatives
Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
A 11 – Initiative for Economic and Social Rights
Autonomous Women’s Centre
Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA)
SHARE Foundation
Partners Serbia
Media Diversity Institute Western Balkans
Renewables and Environmental Regulatory Institute (RERI)
Youth Initiative for Human Rights
