 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Adria Media Group |
| Editor | Aleksandar Djondović |
| Founded | 6 May 2003; 21 years ago (2003-05-06) |
| Political alignment | Serbian Progressive Party Sensationalism[1][2] Populism |
| Headquarters | Vlajkovićeva 8,Belgrade,Serbia |
| Circulation | ~60,000 copies sold (2016) |
| Website | kurir.rs |
Kurir is dailytabloid newspaper published inBelgrade, Serbia.
The first issue ofKurir appeared at newsstands on 6 May 2003.[3] While Kurir's history is relatively short, it is also a checkered one. It goes back to the state of emergency, declared following the assassination of Serbia's Prime MinisterZoran Đinđić, when another daily tabloid namedNacional was shut down. Using its broad powers under the state of emergency act, Serbian government's Ministry of Culture and Information headed byBranislav Lečić issued a temporary ban on publication ofNacional daily on 18 March 2003, for "publishing a number of articles relating to the state of emergency and for questioning the reasons behind the state of emergency".[4] Then on 1 April 2003, the Belgrade city commercial court started liquidation proceedings againstNacional's publisher in Belgrade, Info Orfej. Despite an appeal, the company's equipment, including 118 computers, was seized on 21 April 2003, two days before the state of emergency ended.[4]
Many of the formerNacional staffers found employment in the newly formedKurir. Businessman Radisav Rodić became its owner.[5] Notably, Dragan J. Vučićević (who later founded ofInformer), exNacional deputy-editor-in-chief moved toKurir.[6] The new paper bore an uncanny resemblance to the old one, both in tone and layout.
In 2005, a group of editors left Kurir and founded the newspaperPress. In 2016, formerKurir editors Milan Ladjević and Saša Milovanović left and founded theSrpski Telegraf paper.[7]
In 2009, Radisav Rodić was arrested on suspicion of tax fraud. After his arrest, his son Aleksandar took over management of the paper. That same year, the "Law on Public Information" was changed drastically to increase fines for media which do not respect the rules of the profession.[7] It was seen as a change that largely punished the tabloid for changing political alliances when it suited their sensationalism.[5]
Kurir is generally seen as pro-government. It was favorable to theDemocratic Party (DS) when it ruled but after its loss in 2012 to theSerbian Progressive Party (SNS),Kurir switched allegiances and became pro-SNS, an editorial stance that has remained.[7]
Kurir info Ltd become a leader publishing house in daily newspapers, digital and custom publishing business in Serbia and the West Balkans region.