Serbian broadcaster apologises for biased reporting after after Student List victory

Serbian public broadcaster Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV) has apologised to viewers for years of one-sided and uncritical reporting, following the election victory of the student-led Student List over the alliance led by Aleksandar Vučić.

The broadcaster opened its news bulletin on Monday with footage of celebrations after the Student List’s victory in the parliamentary election, scenes it had not shown the previous evening.

“For years, we failed to fulfil our duty. We kept silent, turned a blind eye, reported events one-sidedly, and failed to ask the necessary questions. For that, we owe our viewers an apology,” news anchor Goran Eror said.

The apology came as acting editor-in-chief of RTV’s First Programme, Nenad Ćaćić, resigned. Serbian media reports said the broadcaster subsequently appointed Blažo Popović to the post. Ćaćić’s resignation followed longstanding demands from a journalists’ union over the broadcaster’s editorial independence and alleged pro-government coverage.

The developments followed the Student List’s victory in Sunday’s parliamentary election. Preliminary results published by Serbia’s Republic Electoral Commission showed the movement winning 52.71% of the votes counted, translating into 140 seats in the 250-member parliament. The alliance led by Vučić secured 104 seats in the preliminary count.

The election outcome was followed by protests at media outlets. Reports said dozens of protesters entered the newsroom of Informer TV, interrupted a live broadcast and confronted editor-in-chief Dragan J Vučićević, demanding an apology to the public.

Informer described the incident as an attack on its newsroom and said journalists had been threatened. Police intervention and clashes outside the building were also reported.

The incidents have drawn attention to concerns about media independence in Serbia, where critics have long accused major outlets of favouring the government. The claims of bias and the circumstances surrounding the newsroom incidents have been reported by media outlets and should be distinguished from independently established findings.

The Student List’s published programme includes proposals on anti-corruption measures, the rule of law, institutional accountability, media freedom, education, housing and healthcare.

Unverified claims circulating on social media that the movement has pledged to end arms exports to countries involved in armed conflicts could not be established from the material available and have therefore not been included as a confirmed policy commitment.