17. 08. 2004

Unions seek reinstatement of sacked editor

BELGRADE, August 17, 2004 (Danas) – The Association of Serbian Journalists and the Serbian Journalists’ Union have demanded that the director of Radio Television Serbia reverse what they describe as the unfair decision to dismiss the editor of Television Belgrade current affairs programming, Goran Gmitric. The unions claim that documentation alleging the broadcasting of incorrect information in a news program on May 16 does not indicate that Gmitric was solely responsible, and point out the director himself had seen the disputed promotion for the news program prior to it being broadcast. In any case, say the unions, the error was corrected the same evening when the television channel broadcast a retraction and an apology. A statement issued by the two unions claims that, even if Gmitric had been solely responsible for the error, this would have been cause for his reassignment to a less sensitive position, but not cause for dismissal.