LESKOVAC, 16.01.2018. – The Media Coalition warned on Tuesday that several local reporters in the town of Leskovac were not allowed to pose questions to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other officials at the opening of the Aptiv Packard plant.
A statement said that the Serbian president’s protocol service only allowed some media to ask questions at a news conference after the opening of the plant.
“The intention of answering only suitable questions was evident in the intimate communication between the president and some reporters who he addressed by name,” the Media coalition said, adding that reporters from the pro-government TV stations Pancevo, Pink and Studio B were allowed to ask questions while local reporters were not.
According to the Media Coalition, staff from the president’s cabinet told local reporters to “come to Belgrade and ask their questions”.
The Coalition warned that similar situations had been taking place for years with most journalist not allowed to come close to the microphone, let alone ask questions at events organized by the authorities.