By Lazar Simić, MDI Western Balkans
Students have already proven that they no longer need to prove themselves to anyone – through thoughtful, democratic, and Gandhian blockades, they have initiated unstoppable changes in Serbian society. To amplify the voice of the students in blockade at universities across Serbia, youth media have joined forces.
After the collapse of the canopy at the newly reconstructed railway station in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, which resulted in the death of 15 people, students in Serbia began holding 15-minute silent blockades to honour the victims and demand accountability. Soon after, students faced violent attacks on the streets, and since then, dozens of faculties in Serbia have been blocked, along with the complete blockade of five state universities. This sparked a nationwide movement in Serbia, with people demanding justice and accountability.
Shoulder to shoulder, as is fitting for colleagues, journalism students and other young journalists report on the blockades from the very beginning, offering a masterclass in ethical journalism to much more experienced colleagues and more popular media outlets.
We spoke with journalists Anja Ninić from Oradio in Novi Sad and Teodora Radojičić from Youth Vibes in Niš about the specific role of youth media reporting on student blockades.
Young people on the front lines of reporting
“Youth media outlets are significant because they are practically the front line when it comes to reporting on blockades, as their newsrooms mostly consist of students or high schoolers,” says Teodora Radojičić, a journalist from Youth Vibes.
Students, along with other young people, make up the editorial teams of youth media, which is why they have an advantage during the blockades – they know their colleagues, communicate and inform themselves in the same way, and have access to the blocked faculties and universities.
Many student plenums have decided not to allow anyone into the faculties except for students and staff. This results in an advantage for student journalists. Only they can access certain stories, events, and experiences.
Journalist Anja Ninić from Oradio shares a similar opinion, stating that the key to the professional reporting of youth media is that they directly address young people, but also that a large part of the newsrooms consists of students.
“Young journalists, who are also part of this community, have the ability to authentically convey their stories and experiences,” adds Ninić.
From the Ground, Without a Generational Barrier
Oradio has been reporting on student blockades from the very beginning, specifically from the first plenum at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad. Ninić emphasizes that their team strives to follow the daily life of students in blockades, their plans, thoughts, and motivation.
When the students of the University of Belgrade set out on foot to Novi Sad to block three bridges on February 1st and mark three months since the collapse of the canopy and the death of 15 people, Ninić decided to walk the entire route with them and report on the protest march “A Step Away from Justice” from the ground.
You can read Anja Ninić’s blog from the trip here.
However, it is not enough just to be present. Quality reporting is also enhanced by peer communication, which is more natural and relaxed, making it easier to establish trust between the journalist and the interviewee.
This is how some interesting stories from Youth Vibes emerged, which are not accessible to media outlets whose editorial teams do not consist of students. The Youth Vibes reels about what students eat at the blocked faculties, how they spend their free time, or which classrooms they block, have tens of thousands of views on Instagram.
Part of professional reporting is also respecting students’ decisions.
Radojičić points out that it is very important to ask students what and how much is allowed to be filmed at the faculties – so the first step in creating this content was an agreement with the security staff and the working groups for media.
Form and Main Actors: What Can Be Learned from Youth Media?
“Form is important”. We’ve all heard that we need to communicate with young people on social media using attractive formats, primarily videos for Instagram or TikTok, but form alone is not enough. Oradio focuses on an analytical approach.
“It’s important to understand the context, listen to the people being reported on, and give space to their voices. In our stories, young people are not just objects of reporting, but subjects and main actors of our media content. This way, we allow them to speak directly about their needs, problems, and achievements, rather than having someone else do it on their behalf,” says Ninić.
We must not forget the dilemma, which is not uncommon in turbulent social-political events – whether to remain a professional or get involved as a citizen, or whether to be a journalist or a student in a blockade.
“Many of us have currently chosen just one thing, which I would recommend to other youth media and students – to be either journalists or students,” says Radojičić.
Choosing just one of these two is fair both to objective reporting and to fellow students.
It seems that this dilemma didn’t cause much trouble for the young journalists from Oradio and Youth Vibes – they are an example of how to report professionally and thoughtfully about the most important social movement created and led by students in Serbia.
