Serbian President's media advisor spreads untruths about N1on Pink TV

Screenshot/RTV Pink

Besides labelling N1's reporter Miodrag Sovilj, Suzana Vasiljevic, the media advisor to Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, told the pro-regime Pink TV a number of untrue information about N1, on Sunday night, describing it as anti-Vucic media.

In five years of its existence, the top leadership described N1 as an American, anti-Serb, Luxembourg's and even CIA TV, but  President's media advisor added another one description – an anti-Vucic television.

“The anti-Vucic's television, which does not allow anyone who has a different opinion from the option which they favour, the Alliance for Serbia (SzS opposition) coalition,” Vasiljevic said, named several politicians who were not a part of the ruling coalition but also not a part of SzS.

However, all of those named by Vasiljevic were guests to N1's TV programmes and more than once. And not just them but also the representatives of the regime, including an MP and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.

Aleksandar Vucic has never accepted an invitation open to him from N1 TV's beginnings five years ago.

 The opportunity to ask questions N1 has only at news conferences and not every time. “It's not an opportunity or place always, but we are trying to give a chance to everyone, especially because he (Vucic) likes to answer their (N1 reporters) questions,” Vasiljevic said.

She added that could change and that she would not allow the journalists to “come too close to the President any more.”

An excuse for the change Vasiljevic found in the case in the White House last year when CNN's Jim Acosta was thrown out from a news conference.

“They took away his accreditation, only because Mr Acosta asked President (Donald) Trump a legitimate question about his statement regarding migrants, “Vasiljevic recalled.

But she forgot to add that Acosta's accreditation was returned to him three days later by the court order.

In a series of untrue and incomplete information, President's media advisor revealed an exclusive one – if true.

She said that those responsible for throwing leaflets into N1's yard were members of a rightist organisation.

“They threw several leaflets, and the state had nothing to do with that, a rightist organisation did it, the state condemned, we did whatever was in our power, but …,” she said.

It is unclear where from Vasiljevic got information that a rightist organisation threw leaflets into N1's yard when no one from the respective institutions had said anything so far.