Presenter apologizes for biased reporting

A presenter from RTV, a public television station in Serbia, apologized on air for broadcasting "partial information" that favored former President Aleksandar Vucic, according to reports from The New York Times and the Serbian news website 021. The presenter admitted that the station had "overlooked certain things, ignored others, broadcast one-sided information without critical reflection."

Context of the apology

The apology comes after Serbia United, the political list led by Vucic, lost in the early parliamentary elections on October 25. Vucic, who had been in power since 2014, faced corruption allegations for nearly two years and eventually resigned in September 2026 to run in the legislative elections.

Media's role in Vucic's campaign

According to Vreme, a Serbian weekly magazine, Vucic was able to "mobilize state resources," including the media, which the publication claims were "largely at his service." This strong electoral machine, however, was not enough to prevent his defeat by the Student List, a political group arising from a popular protest movement.

Student movement demands media reform

The Student List, which received over 52% of the votes, also demanded the resignation of the leadership of Serbia’s main public broadcaster, RTV, which they accused of partiality. They called for the resignation of the director general of the Serbian Radio-television (RTS), his deputy, and other key editorial figures.

RTV leadership changes

RTV has already announced the departure of Nenad Cacic, the former editor-in-chief of the channel, who was criticized by the protest movement for his biased framing of the news. This move reflects a broader push for media renewal in Serbia, similar to the apology made by Hungary’s M1 television channel in July after the defeat of Prime Minister Viktor Orban in April’s legislative elections.