DANAS BANNED!

Danas (Today) was founded on June 9, 1997, by a group of journalists and editors of "Nasa Borba", the leading journalists of the old independent newspaper "Borba" (before it was taken over by the regime) and creators and managers of "Nasa Borba" during the first and toughest nine months of its existence. The paper is completely and evenly owned by its 17 founders, who are all professional journalists.

It defines itself as a "liberal, centre-to-the-left pro-European newspaper which stands for the highest levels of tolerance in Yugoslav society and is strongly dedicated to the principles and values of democracy and civility". Its editorial policy is remarkable in its dedication to reporting about war crimes and related issues, dealing with the past, and dark and troubling aspects of the Serbian society, such as nationalism, chauvinism, and prejudice. Also, interestingly, Danas provides perhaps the best coverage of issues in Kosovo and Metohija of any medium in Serbia, regularly providing space to Fr. Sava (Janjic) and other prominent Kosovo Serbs and Albanians.

After a quiet first year, the paper was caught in a series of repressive measures by Milosevic's regime. On 10/14/98 Danas was banned for spreading "panic, fear and defeatism". The ban was lifted on 10/20/98, but was replaced by a new Public Information Law. On 10/25/98, the new law was used to confiscate the property of another previously banned paper, Dnevni Telegraf. In response the editorial board registered paper as a new company in Montenegro, where Danas was published for a while. It was shipped daily by truck to Serbia.

Troubles with authorities continued until the fall of Milosevic's regime. After the initial ban, the paper was frequently a target of lawsuits filed by prominent politicians, close to the authorities. High officials of the Serb Radical Party Vojislav Seselj (at the time deputy prime minister of the federal Yugoslav government) and Aleksandar Vucic (the then Serbian Information Minister) were its main tormentors. For example, in December 1999, Seselj and Vuvic sued Danas for printing the accusations of the Serb Renewal Movement that the authorities, including SRS officials, organized and executed the assasination attempt against its leader Vuk Draskovic (in the meantime these accusations have been proven to to be true). Danas was fined 360,000 dinars [$36,000; average salary in FR Yugoslavia before the NATO attack in March-June 1999 was $1,000 per year]. The paper survived this one and other fines by appealing to its readers and business partners for help. According to Danas, the daily managed to "survive" owing to the solidarity of readers, friends, business partners and vendors.

In post-Milosevic Serbia Danas hasn't changed its original editorial policy. It continues be one of few written and electronic media in Serbia that write and report about troubling chapters from the recent past, including war crimes and prosecution of war criminals.

Contact information:
Editor-in-chief: Grujica Spasovic
Danas, DAN GRAF d.o.o.
Alekse Nenadovica 19-23/V
Belgrade 11000, Serbia, Serbia-Montenegro
telephone/fax: 344-11-86, 432-731
e-mail: desk@danas.co.yu

YUINDpress
Last Update 8/31/2007