Srpski telegraf, Alo, Informer, Vecernje novosti, Kurir, Blic and Politika received contracts worth at least 108 million dinars (more than 850 000 euros) last year through public procurement, according to NUNS research. According to the latest Report on monitoring compliance with the Serbian Journalists’ Code of Ethics in daily newspapers published last year by the Press Council, these media violated the Code a total of 2,579 times. The Press Council’s Complaints Committee decided 22 times last year whether these media violated the Code.

Publishers of printed and online editions of the aforementioned media, according to the data of the Public Procurement Portal, received contracts worth at least 108 million dinars last year, mainly for advertising of state enterprises and institutions.

Vecernje novosti received the most money through public procurement, a little over 21 million dinars (over 175 000 euros).

The total number of articles by title in which Vecernje Novosti violated the Code of Journalists of Serbia is 328, according to the latest monitoring of the Press Council. The Appeals Commission, during the last year, decided twice on the violation of the Code, once for the printed edition and the portal, and both times it was decided that the Code was violated.

Politika received 17.7 million dinars (around 151 000 euros) through public procurement, but, of all observed media, it violated the Code the least, a total of 38 times, according to monitoring, while the Commission did not receive a single complaint regarding the writing of this media.

Alo received 17.5 million dinars (around 149 000 euros), and it had 581 violations of the Code. The Complaints Committee received four complaints about Alo’s texts and each time it was decided that the Code had been violated.

Blic received 13.6 million dinars (around 116 000 euros). The total number of texts by title in which the Code of Journalists of Serbia was violated was 174, while the Commission made a decision that the printed edition violated the Code once, and the online edition 3 times.

SrpskiTelegraf received 13.4 million dinars (over 114 000 euros), and had the most violations, as many as 658. Since SrpskiTelegraf does not recognize the jurisdiction of the Press Council, the Complaints Commission issued four public warnings for violating the Code, twice for the printed edition and twice for the online edition, i.e. website republika.rs.

Kurir had 288 violations, with a downward trend, as seen in the report. The Complaints Commission has twice ruled that Kurir violated the Code. This media, mainly for advertising in printed and online editions, received contracts worth 12.6 million dinars (over 107 000 euros) through public procurement.

According to the number of violations of the code, Informer is in third place, right behind Srpski Telegraf and Alo, with 512 violations. The appeals committee mostly decided on the texts published in the Informer and a public reprimand was issued eight times, four each for the print and online editions. Despite that, Informer was awarded 12.5 million dinars (around 106 000 euros) through public procurement.

The amount of money received by the media through public procurement and the number of violations according to the monitoring of the Press Council.