09. 12. 2004

DAILY GUARDS STATE REPUTATION

BELGRADE, December 9, 2004 – Readers of Glas Javnosti have rallied to the Belgrade daily’s support with evidence of their being victims of a corrupt system, following a claim by the Serbian Public Prosecution that an article on mafia in the judiciary was a campaign aimed at diminishing the reputation and authority of the state. Glas Javnosti has said it will publish readers testimonies of the existence of “rulers in the shadows” and their claims that money can buy freedom. If the journalist’s takes is to investigate and report on events from all spheres of life, is it the job of state bodies to clean up the dirt in their sphere or to sweep it under the carpet. Are journalists expected to also take the role of prosecutors? The reputation and authority of the state is being degraded by those who do not do their jobs properly, while the job of journalists is to reveal them. Glas Javnosti did just that by publishing this article. The company has all the evidence necessary from readers who have been parties to lawsuits, lawyers, and prosecutor to support the claims in the article. However, the prosecution claims that our article contains “general, unfounded and damaging information” but has not denied that this information is true. The information is general because our source is anonymous at the moment. However all other claims are supported with appropriate arguments. As far as damaging statements are concerned, more harm is done to the society and the system by the attitude of certain individuals in the judiciary than by these articles in Glas Javnosti.