Media outlets should remain united and professional, and keep doing what they are doing and I’m happy that there is unity from all unions and associations. That is the only way to act when anyone dares to threaten and criticize media outlets because he disagrees with their opinions, said IT Minister Stefan Andonovski.

The Minister was referring to the on-going campaign from the opposition SDSM party to attack media outlets whose reporting it dislikes. SDSM has held press conferences to discuss the editorial policies of news outlets, including Republika, and has devoted special press conferences and issued statements attacking outlets like Plusinfo and Alfa TV.

It is not acceptable to have a campaign by a political party against a media outlet. This is very harmful and one of the things that can happen because of this is that we receive a worse grade in the EU report and in the Reporters without Borders report on the issue of media freedoms. And not because of the actions of the Government but because politicians are exerting pressure on media outlets, said Andonovski.