Srđan Radulović, deputy editor in chief at Blic, said there is a difference between the established and yet-to-be established media in the country:

“It is important to mention that the established media have a reputation and it’s hard to expect an advertiser to have a bearing on their editorial policy. Every interest group is trying to have an impact in the media and once they succeed in it, consequences are felt. What flows from it is not the media informing people, but the media manipulating them. This reduces their readership, the audiences trust them no more and advertisers too,“ Radulović stated.

B92 editor in chief Veran Matić said huge problems are facing privatization in the media, locally in particular. Under the law on self-government, the local media have the opportunity to remain state-owned and new ones can be formed with a government stake.

Furthermore, Matić said the government still needs the submissive media: “This profession is upset by a change in editorial staff in the state-owned media which changes every time we have a new government. These shows the authorities need the media to be submissive. “

Danilo Petronijević of Večernje novosti said never before have companies pressurized journalists this much: Advertisers want to take them to journeys, seminars. In traditional editorial offices, this is considered bribery as they are not only expected to write positively about an event but the company as well“.

A lack of skilful staff in the journalism and HR sectors poses the biggest problem in the relationship between the media and companies.