The Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety, which represents more than 8,000 members, condemns the verbal attack of the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK) towards Gazeta Express. The public call “Don’t trust the fake news of the Gazeta Express” is a flagrant interference towards a medium.

The language of this political party continues to degrade, which among others, says that it respects the media and freedom of expression, but calls upon all Kosovo citizens to cast doubt on the news published by Gazeta Express, by calling the news of the newspaper fake.

“The website has already embarked on this mission with a clear purpose to hurt the PDK with an incomprehensible hostility. So, therefore, we call upon all Kosovo citizens to cast doubt on the news published by Gazeta Express”, they added on their press release.

The Regional Platform expresses its concern about this language being used by a political party towards media, which has been part of the ascendancy for years in Kosovo and we estimate that this is direct pressure on editorial policies and a direct form of public pressure.

This is not the first time that PDK has put undue pressure on the editorial policy of this media. The Association of Journalists of Kosovo reacted on May 3, when the head of this Political Party, Kadri Veseli, called and pressured Leonard Kerquki – the Editor in Chief of Gazeta Express.

The Regional Platform invites PDK to distance itself from such a language, which affects the professional integration of journalists and we will call PDK to apologize publicly beside this.

Skopje – Belgrade – Podgorica – Pristina – Sarajevo – Zagreb

26.08.2019

BH Journalists Association

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Croatian Journalists’ Association

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Association of Journalists of Macedonia

Independent Journalists Association of Serbia
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