Weekly NIN's front page causes avalanche of comments online; editor-in-chief reacts
The front page, posted on the weekly's Twitter profile, received comments from readers saying the new issue and the front page should be pulled
The front page of the new issue of NIN, featuring President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic during a visit to a weapons fair, has caused a storm of reactions on social networks and an avalanche of comments, because, according to readers, it is taken from an angle showing a rifle pointed at him tendentiously, as if it was taking aim.
The front page, posted on the weekly's Twitter profile, received comments from readers saying the new issue and the front page should be pulled.
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"Pull this issue, spare yourselves a disgrace! This doesn't suit even those dark people from Greater Serbia, let alone a civil newspaper. Unimaginative and creepy," said one of the comments on tomorrow's front page.
"A scandalous front page, colleagues. Scandalous. Like the priests say, show forgiveness, but, unacceptable," wrote Slobodan Georgiev, a BIRN journalist.
Editor-in-chief of the NIN weekly Milan Culibrk said that only the darkest of minds could come up with the disgusting things attributed to the NIN editorial board over the front page of the new issue, which will appear on newsstands on Thursday.
"Nobody at NIN ever had any of the intentions they are now accusing us of, bringing the cover photo into context of serious threats against the president of Serbia," said Culibrk.
He said that nobody objected with a single word when some domestic media first published the Tanjug photo, dated June 27, 2017, when now president of Serbia, then Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic together with then President of the Serb Republic Milorad Dodik, inaugurated the 8th International Arms and Military Fair "Partner 2017," held in Belgrade.
Mayor of Novi Sad Milos Vucevic also addressed the issue on Instagram.
"State authorities must urgently react to the cover of the new issue of NIN! A rifle targeting the president of our country is neither an example of free journalism, nor of artistic freedom! It is a disgrace and a shame on an honorable profession. I call on state authorities, journalist associations, all well-meaning people to do their utmost to finally stop the threats and invocations of crimes against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic."
(Telegraf.rs)