Nova Newsroom Says New Owner Imposed an Editor Weeks Before the Vote

On 8 October Pedro Vargas Santos David, owner of the Portuguese investment fund Alpac Capital and director of the company that publishes Nova.rs, introduced journalists to their incoming editor-in-chief, Marko Stjepanović, and his deputy, Ivana Mastilović Jasnić. Staff accused the new owner of imposing an editor shortly before the election.

Associations raise the alarm

The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) said on 9 October that the personnel changes threatened the editorial independence of outlets in the Adria News Network (ANN) group. The Coalition for Media Freedom had voiced similar concerns on 5 October. The newsroom of the weekly Radar urged owners and management to return to lawful business practices.

Approval still pending

Alpac took management control of ANN’s Serbian companies — N1, Nova S, Nova, Danas and Radar — on 17 August, before all regulatory approvals were in place. Radar said in October that Luxembourg’s media regulator had yet to approve the deal. Alpac, which also holds a majority stake in Euronews, did receive approval in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

N1 and its sister outlets are among the few influential national media not aligned with the outgoing government. Their ownership will shape both the advertising market and the information environment the new government works in.