Serbian public broadcaster's staff apologize for years of biased coverage after Vučić's election defeat

The apology was delivered on air on October 26 by presenter Goran Eror and published on RTV's official website.

"For many years, the public broadcaster failed to fulfill its role. It remained silent, turned a blind eye, provided one-sided information, reported uncritically, failed to ask the right questions — or asked no questions at all," Eror said.

"For that, we owe our viewers an apology."

RTV emphasized that the statement reflected the views of some of its employees.

The staff members said they had pushed for journalists and editors to be able to work freely and in accordance with professional ethics, but those efforts had not produced the desired results in time. They pledged to continue fighting for independent and professional journalism.

The statement came amid changes in RTV's management. According to hromadske, Nenad Čačić resigned as acting head of the broadcaster's first television channel following demands from some employees and RTV Director General Goran Karadžić. Blažo Popović took over the position, while Predrag Novaković became program director.

The developments followed Serbia's October 25 snap parliamentary election, in which the student-led Student List defeated the ruling party associated with Vučić, ending his long hold on power.

The student movement emerged from mass protests following the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people. Protesters accused the authorities of corruption and negligence.

The election result has raised expectations of institutional reforms, including greater media independence, after years of criticism over political influence on Serbian news coverage.