Politika ekspres
Encyclopedia
Politika ekspres was a Serbia
n daily newspaper, published in Belgrade
by Politika AD
from 1963 until 2005.
Known colloquially as Ekspres and started in 1963 as an evening paper meant to compete with Večernje novosti
, it arrived on the market as the fourth Belgrade daily. After initial difficulties it eventually managed to build a sizable readership, so that by early 1980s it achieved a daily circulation in excess of 200,000 copies.
With the disintegration of SFR Yugoslavia followed by wars, UN embargo, and severe financial crisis that hit Serbia, Ekspres circulation nosedived. With Milošević's regime taking over editorial control of all Politika AD publications, the same was true at Ekspres. The paper became another mouthpiece for the regime.
In 1999, during NATO's bombardment of Serbia, the paper became the centerpiece of controversy due the commentary published in the April 5, 1999 issue titled "Ćuruvija dočekao bombe" (Ćuruvija Greeted the Bombs) about a prominent journalist Slavko Ćuruvija
. Ćuruvija was essentially accused of being happy about the fact that Serbia suffers daily NATO air raids. The piece was even referenced on RTS
television's (Serbian state TV, also firmly under Milošević's control at the time) central evening newscast Dnevnik 2 on April 4th, the night before the issue went to news stands. When Ćuruvija got assassinated six days later on April 11, 1999, many pointed to the article and its mention in the newscast as part of groundwork for the murder, meant to dehumanize Ćuruvija and desensitize the public to the news of his impending death. Widely held view is that Milošević's wife Mira Marković ordered both the article and Ćuruvija's subsequent murder.
With its reputation severely tarnished, the paper continued after the October 2000 regime change, but its financial prospects looked very bleak.
In 2004, one last attempt to resurrect it occurred after Politika AD and WAZ-Mediengruppe
formed a 50-50 joint venture. Ekspres got a visual makeover, but it still couldn't keep up and eventually folded in early 2005.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n daily newspaper, published in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
by Politika AD
Politika AD
Politika a.d. is a Serbian media corporation founded in present form in 2005, and it has continually existed in various legal forms since 1904....
from 1963 until 2005.
Known colloquially as Ekspres and started in 1963 as an evening paper meant to compete with Večernje novosti
Vecernje novosti
Večernje novosti is a Belgrade-based daily newspaper. Founded in 1953, it quickly grew into a high-circulation daily.It first appeared on stands on October 16, 1953 edited by Slobodan Glumac who set the newspaper's tone for years to come...
, it arrived on the market as the fourth Belgrade daily. After initial difficulties it eventually managed to build a sizable readership, so that by early 1980s it achieved a daily circulation in excess of 200,000 copies.
With the disintegration of SFR Yugoslavia followed by wars, UN embargo, and severe financial crisis that hit Serbia, Ekspres circulation nosedived. With Milošević's regime taking over editorial control of all Politika AD publications, the same was true at Ekspres. The paper became another mouthpiece for the regime.
In 1999, during NATO's bombardment of Serbia, the paper became the centerpiece of controversy due the commentary published in the April 5, 1999 issue titled "Ćuruvija dočekao bombe" (Ćuruvija Greeted the Bombs) about a prominent journalist Slavko Ćuruvija
Slavko Curuvija
Slavko Ćuruvija was a Serbian journalist and newspaper publisher. His brutal murder on 11 April 1999 in Belgrade, Serbia provoked international outrage and wide condemnation...
. Ćuruvija was essentially accused of being happy about the fact that Serbia suffers daily NATO air raids. The piece was even referenced on RTS
Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia or Serbian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster in Serbia. It broadcasts and produces a variety of news, drama, and sports programming through radio, television and the Internet. RTS is, since July 2001, a member of the European Broadcasting Union. RTS is...
television's (Serbian state TV, also firmly under Milošević's control at the time) central evening newscast Dnevnik 2 on April 4th, the night before the issue went to news stands. When Ćuruvija got assassinated six days later on April 11, 1999, many pointed to the article and its mention in the newscast as part of groundwork for the murder, meant to dehumanize Ćuruvija and desensitize the public to the news of his impending death. Widely held view is that Milošević's wife Mira Marković ordered both the article and Ćuruvija's subsequent murder.
With its reputation severely tarnished, the paper continued after the October 2000 regime change, but its financial prospects looked very bleak.
In 2004, one last attempt to resurrect it occurred after Politika AD and WAZ-Mediengruppe
WAZ-Mediengruppe
The WAZ-Mediengruppe is Germany's third largest newspaper and magazine publisher with a total of over 500 publications in eight countries. WAZ-Mediengruppe is privately held by the founders' families and is headquartered in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia.The group's largest paper is Westdeutsche...
formed a 50-50 joint venture. Ekspres got a visual makeover, but it still couldn't keep up and eventually folded in early 2005.