Original article (in Serbian) was published on 18/1/2025; Author: Stefan Kosanović
On January 18, RTS aired a manipulated clip during Dnevnik 2 (News 2), featuring a segment from the appearance of Milos Jovanovic, leader of Nova DSS, on Nova S television. The clip distorted his statement to make it seem as though he advocated violence and called for the assassination of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The report presented Jovanovic as saying that one of the options in confronting the government is “taking up arms and throwing the president off a balcony”. However, a crucial part was cut out, in which Jovanovic explicitly states that such an act would be absurd and emphasizes that he does not consider it an acceptable solution while explaining the nonviolent methods he advocates for change. The excerpt was taken from the pro-regime X profile “Detektor lazi” (“Lie detector”), known for spreading fake news and smearing the opposition. By using this source, RTS has aligned itself with tabloid practices that often rely on this source to mislead the public.
Manipulation typical of Serbian tabloids made its way to RTS last night.
In Dnevnik 2, one of the country’s most-watched programs, a manipulated video clip of Milos Jovanovic, the president of the New Democratic Party of Serbia (Nova DSS), from his appearance on Nova S television, was broadcast.
The controversial clip, lasting only about ten seconds, shows Jovanovic saying: “The other option is really to take up arms and settle things. I see that Aleksandar Vucic mentioned it – he brought up throwing someone off a balcony, right? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think I’m mistaken. Somewhere, Aleksandar Vucic said, what, that he should be thrown off a balcony. And that’s an option”.
However, the video cuts off just before Jovanovic continues: “I don’t think that’s a good option; I think that’s completely absurd. I’m not revolutionary in that sense, but we’re speaking theoretically”.
RTS provided no explanation or broader context for the excerpt.
Anchor Dane Ilic introduced the segment with the claim that Milos Jovanovic had called for “throwing the president off a balcony”.
“Today, the president of Nova DSS, Milos Jovanovic, also spoke out, and said during an appearance on TV Nova S that one of the options in confronting the government is to take up arms and, as he added, throw the president of the state off a balcony”, Ilic read.
RTS then aired a clip of Jovanovic’s appearance on Nova S but used a version sourced from the pro-regime X profile “Detektor lazi.” This is evident from the distinctive large caption design, featuring a light blue background with pink and black letters, identical to the video posted on “Detektor lazi” two hours before the broadcast of Dnevnik.
Last night’s Dnevnik was edited by long-time journalist and editor at the public broadcaster, Milica Nedic.
What did Jovanovic actually say on Nova S?
During a 15-minute appearance on Nova S, the journalist summarized the discussion about the positions of the Nada coalition (Nova DSS and POKS) near the end of the show. She explained that the coalition advocates for the blockade of Parliament’s work and the formation of a transitional government to ensure fair elections.
Jovanovic responded that he sees no solution other than this proposal, noting that there are two other alternatives. The first, in his words, is for Aleksandar Vucic to remain in power, which he described as “unacceptable and impossible”. The second option is a violent confrontation, which he immediately rejected and clearly emphasized was not an approach he supported – directly contradicting the narrative presented on RTS.
“And the third option that I advocate for, the only meaningful, reasonable one, is to increase the pressure”, emphasized Jovanovic, adding: “Here, we must defend the rule of law through pressure. This includes blocking legislative activity, blocking universities, and organizing a general strike, including EPS, Kolubara, and all citizens. This is truly a question of freedom”.
This is not the first time RTS has engaged in manipulation this week.
In the same time slot on Monday, January 13, RTS also misled the public. On that occasion, they read a critique from an Israeli historian criticizing Serbian actors for painting their hands red, claiming that such symbols were used by Hamas and should be avoided.
RTS failed to mention that these “bloody hands” in Serbia have been used for months as a symbol of something else – the protests of citizens demanding accountability from the government following the collapse of a canopy in Novi Sad. Historically, the bloody hand symbol has been used far beyond the Middle East and, even there, has often symbolized opposition to war and the suffering of innocent people.
“Detektor lazi” – A frequent guest in tabloids, now on RTS too?
The video clip aired on RTS was sourced from the pro-regime X profile “Detektor lazi”, which posted it just two hours before it was broadcast on Dnevnik. This profile has, for years, been posting manipulative video content favoring the regime while targeting activists, opposition figures, students, and citizens critical of the government.
Tabloids often use these clips as the basis for news articles. Last year, Raskrikavanje wrote about the “epidemic” of such articles.
“Detektor lazi” profile on X was created in May 2020 and currently has over 14,000 followers. By March 2023, videos from this profile had also been available on TikTok, where its posts garnered a total of 114,000 likes.
In 2022, the Fake News Tragac editorial team analyzed this profile using the CrowdTangle tool, revealing that its posts were frequently shared by pages such as “SNS – moja stranka”, “Srpska napredna stranka – najbolji idu napred” i ”Rio Tinto u Jadru – da, pa šta?”.
Citizens dissatisfied with reporting: Major protest in front of RTS
Thousands of students and citizens gathered this Friday, January 17, in front of the RTS building at a large protest titled “Our right to know everything”, expressing dissatisfaction with the public broadcaster’s reporting during months-long protests.
The gathering was marked by a symbolic fifteen-minute silence at 7 p.m. dedicated to the memory of the 15 victims of the Novi Sad tragedy.
Students brought a large mock sandwich to the protest, intended as a gift for RTS director Dragan Bujosevic, with euro banknotes symbolically sticking out of it.
RTS provided live coverage of events at the protest. A banner with the message “RTS workers stand with students” was unfurled from the RTS building, prompting applause and chants from the crowd: “Thank you for your support”.
Once again, the estimates of the number of protest participants significantly varied. Police and tabloids reported that 15,000 people attended, despite drone photographs suggesting a much larger turnout. On the other hand, an independent group of enthusiasts called the Public Assembly Archive, known for its precise crowd analyses, determined that the number of participants ranged between 53,000 and 55,000.
The guest appearance was misrepresented by numerous regime politicians, and the tabloids amplified these manipulations in their reporting
Last year, Raskrikavanje conducted a detailed analysis of the propaganda tactics used by the authorities, which often fabricate threats against President Aleksandar Vucic to divert attention from public dissatisfaction, protests, or blockades.
This time, the target of the propaganda was opposition politician Milos Jovanovic, accused of “plotting against the president” based on a clip taken out of context. President Vucic responded to these claims during an appearance on Happy TV. Shortly afterwards, numerous pro-regime politicians and tabloids rallied to his defense, further amplifying the manipulation.
Several tabloid web portals that shared the manipulation made by “Detektor lazi” or statements from politicians without providing additional context include Novosti, Pink, Alo, Kurir, Informer, Politika, RT, Euronews, Blic, 24sedam, NSuzivo, Republika, K1, the provincial public broadcaster RTV, and the news agency Tanjug.
