Pavol Szalai, Director of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Prague Bureau, described recent developments at the Adria News Network (ANN) since its acquisition by Alpac Capital owner Pedro Vargas Santos David as a “bad thriller scenario.”
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In an interview with the daily Nova newspaper - which is owned by ANN along with N1, Danas, Radar, and Forbes Serbia - Szalai said that this is unfortunately the reality in Serbia, which ranks 104th globally on the RSF World Press Freedom Index, places last in Europe, and lacks functional media regulatory bodies and antitrust protection.
“This is a Serbia where media freedom has become the prey of media freedom predator (former Serbian president) Aleksandar Vucic,” Szalai said.
When asked what message he would send to Vargas David, Szalai noted that no amount of political influence or money can buy public trust, which remains the core asset of any media organization.
“Mr. Vargas David promised editorial independence, but instead we see interference in newsroom appointments. Reporters Without Borders previously called on Alpac Capital to establish protective firewall mechanisms between ownership and the newsrooms to safeguard independence. I still fail to see that such mechanisms have been established,” Szalai added.
He also expressed skepticism regarding the company's financial approach, saying that he does not understand their business model or if one even exists.
“The only thing we know is that we do not know how Alpac Capital financed the acquisition of ANN. We also know that Mr. Vargas David has many political allies,” Szalai said.
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