Press (Belgrade newspaper)
Center-right Populism | |
Ceased publication | 15 November 2012 |
---|---|
Headquarters | 27. marta 69/14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia |
Website | www.pressonline.rs |
Press was a daily middle-market tabloid newspaper published in Belgrade between 2005 and 2012.
Launched by a group of journalists who left Kurir and published by the company they established called Press Publishing Group, Press quickly developed sizable readership, reaching high circulation in the process. In time, the company parleyed the daily's market success into other print media projects such as another daily Biznis, aimed at business people, as well as a lifestyle weekly magazine Lola and a glossy monthly magazine FAME.
For years, much like many other Serbian media outlets, the paper faced speculation and accusations about its ownership structure. Rumours about the Press' real owners being some of Serbia's most powerful politically connected business tycoons was rampant with individuals like Miroslav Mišković and Dragan Đilas often mentioned in this regard.
The daily was shut down in November 2012 amid great controversy that played out in the Serbian media when tycoon Miroslav Mišković announced his pull-out from the paper's ownership structure, thereby confirming his long-speculated association with the paper.
Ownership
The Press owners controlled the paper through an entity named Press Publishing Group d.o.o. which was registered in Serbia as a limited liability company in mid October 2006.[1]
Initially, it was co-owned by the three parties: Amber Press Limited company from Cyprus (50%), individual Đorđe Stefanović (40%), and Mediavox d.o.o. company from Belgrade (10%). However, since Mediavox is also owned by Stefanović, Press Publishing Group was essentially a 50-50 joint venture between Stefanović and Cypriot Amber Press.
The company quickly established itself on the Serbian media market, receiving accolades[2] and posting good business returns. According to its 2007 annual financial report submitted to the Serbian Economic Register Agency, the company had 136 employees and it posted an annual profit of RSD58,830,000 (approximately € 0.7 million at the time) for the calendar year 2007.[3]
Then in May 2009, the ownership was restructured with Stefanović's 40% stake divided amongst 4 individuals: Biljana Kralj (22%), Đoko Kesić (6%), Dragan J. Vučićević (6%), and Svetomir Marjanović (6%).
Over the years, there were frequent speculation about the identity of the individuals behind the companies listed in the Press ownership structure. Serbian tycoons and businessmen Miroslav Mišković and Dragan Đilas were often mentioned in this regard. On 12 November 2012, that speculation was confirmed when politically influential Serbian tycoon Miroslav Mišković announced his decision to sell his stake in the paper, admitting in the process that he was the paper largest individual stakeholder.[4] Reacting to Mišković's announcement, Serbian deputy prime minister Aleksandar Vučić claimed that Serbian businessman and the mayor of Belgrade Dragan Đilas also owns a large stake in the paper and called on him to publicly admit it.[5]
History
In mid December 2005, Press became the latest in a growing list of Serbian print media outlets that came into existence due to a group of journalists leaving their previous place of employment en masse to launch a new paper. This is how Vreme weekly was started in 1990 (left Politika), Naša borba in 1994 (left Borba), and Glas javnosti in 1998 (left Blic).
In this case, the majority of Press staffers—including editor-in-chief
Led by Kesić and Vučićević, the group that left Kurir announced their plan to start their own daily tabloid named Dnevni kurir, however, Kurir owner Rodić immediately filed a complaint with Trade Court, protesting copyright infringement. The court agreed with him and issued an immediate junction prohibiting publication under that name. Though they felt Kurir became what it is in large part due to their own efforts and skills, Kesić & Vučićević decided not to pursue the matter further legally and ended the issue by naming their new tabloid Press, instead.
Its premiere issue came out on 15 December 2005.
Press vs. Bojan Krišto
In late November 2008, Press began running a series of articles about
No such thing happened, however, as Krišto resigned on 25 November 2008 under the weight of public pressure[6] while Dinkić went on B92 programme Utisak nedelje on 30 November 2008 and more or less defended his party colleague.[7] Dinkić repeatedly referred to the entire episode as "witch hunt" and even suggested that part of the motivation for Press to go after Krišto might lay in his apparent decision to make them pay the outstanding sum on the sponsorship deal that allowed the Press logo to be printed on the back of boarding passes issued at the airport. The very next day Press responded to this by saying they will present Dinkić with all the details of that particular business deal and demand that he issue a public apology for the "libelous remark".[8]
Closing
On 15 November 2012, in the wake of
Mišković's implicit admission of owning a stake in Press when he announced his pullout from the paper as well as the publication's demise three days later, caused a lot of reaction and controversy on the Serbian media scene as well as in the country's wider public. It again opened the issue of the real ownership behind Serbian print and electronic media outlets.[citation needed]
Reaction to the paper's demise
Ljiljana Smajlović
Dragan J. Vučićević
On 15 November 2012, at a press-conference he called over a different issue, former Press editor-in-chief, columnist, and one of its founders Dragan J. Vučićević (at the time the editor-in-chief of Informer) took several questions about the paper's demise. He said on the occasion: "Towards the end of 2010, Press got hijacked and taken away from me and the other founders by the people from top echelons of the authorities that ran Serbia at the time. They basically blackmailed us with a threat of laying off the 250 staffers that were employed at the paper at the time as well as the threat of making sure our loans don't get re-programmed. From the second half of 2010 until I eventually left in late December 2011 when they wouldn't allow me to continue writing my column, I was neither involved in the paper's business nor its editorial policy. All I did for the paper in 2010 and 2011 was writing a weekly column. Yes, I was listed at the same time as the managing board president of the Press Publishing Group, but it was only a formal title by the decision of some people that made decisions at the time — in reality I had nothing to do with the managing board, which by the way didn't even exist, and I'm not the right man to talk to about what went on in that paper during its last three years of existence. Yes, I was fictitiously listed as the managing board president. As far as Oliver Dulić and the payments from his environmental fund go, I learned of those only after I had already left Press. I had nothing to do with him. If you prove that I ever met him, signed any of his payments, or even talked to him over the phone I'll gladly go to jail. I never took a dinar from Dulić or anyone else from the Tadić authorities. I only suffered under those authorities. During the Tadić era in Serbia, only a few journalists dared to put up consistent and resolute resistance to his tyrannical rule and I feel that resisting Tadić and his cronies is one of the greatest highlights of my career in journalism. Especially under the circumstances when other journalists kept silent while cashing in their integrity from Dulić and other characters like Cole, Krle, and Šane".[13]
This was in stark contrast to what Vučićević had to say on the same subject two years earlier in December 2010. Asked at the time about the Serbian tycoons' alleged clandestine involvement in the Serbian newspapers' ownership structure, Vučićević, the managing board president of Press Publishing Group, answered: "In Serbia there are constant conspiracy theories about different tycoons having a stake in various newspapers. That's not exactly the case and I'll tell why it isn't. The newspaper business in Serbia is not profitable enough for tycoons to be interested in it. They can turn much greater profits in other endeavours so why would they invest in newspapers. Do you know how long it takes to start making a profit on your investment in a newspaper? Between 5-7 years. Why would someone invest €1 million in a newspaper and then wait for 7 years to make that money back". Asked explicitly on the same occasion who owns Press, Vučićević answered: "Press is owned by Đoko Kesić, Sveta Marjanović, Biljana Kralj, and myself". Pressed further to say who is politically behind Press, Vučićević emphatically repeated: "No one".[14]
Čedomir Jovanović
Speaking on the political talk-show Utisak nedelje, the leader of opposition
Editorial history
- Đoko Kesić December 2005 – November 2007
- Dragan J. Vučićević November 2007 – November 2010
- Svetomir Marjanović November 2010 – January 2011
- Veljko Lalić January 2011 – August 2012
- Borislav Kasanski August 2012 - October 2012
- Miša Brkić October 2012 – November 2012
References
- ^ "Detalji o privrednom subjektu". regpr.komora.net. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "(E Magazin) Munjevit razvoj kompanije Press Publishing Group pružio je primer kolegama iz novinarske branše". www.ekapija.com.
- ^ http://pretraga.apr.gov.rs/RepsisPublicSite/Public/Enterprise/AnnualFinancialReport.aspx?BusinessEntityId=1109769&RegistryCode=20208961&rnd=2122029498 Finasijski izvestaj za 2007
- ^ "Mišković: Povlačim se iz vlasništva u "Presu"". Blic.rs.
- ^ Vučić: I Đilas je suvlasnik Presa Archived 2012-11-14 at the Wayback Machine;Blic, 13 November 2012
- ^ Bojan Krišto podneo ostavku, Press, November 25, 2008
- ^ "Dinkić: Krišto nije kriv". B92.net.
- ^ Kriv mu Press, Press, December 1, 2008
- ^ Dnevni list "Press" prestaje da izlazi;Blic, 15 November 2012
- ^ Mišković i Đilas ugasili „Press“? Ostao dug od 16 miliona evra Archived 2012-11-17 at the Wayback Machine;pravda.rs, 15 November 2012
- ^ Smajlović: Gašenje "Pressa" loša vest;mondo.rs, 15 November 2012
- ^ Press do daljeg samo onlajn Archived 2012-11-17 at the Wayback Machine;Press, 15 November 2012
- ^ "Vučićević's press conference (timestamp 17:24)". Dragan Kovač. 15 November 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ "Dragan J. Vučićević - o tome ko stoji iza Press-a". JSP produkcija. December 2010. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ Bakić Jovanoviću: Niste alternativa;B92, 18 November 2012
External links
- Press Online - Official website