On Serbian television, women are insulted and threatened with weapons. And this is not some hypothetical scenario. This is a reality show that includes famous mafiosi and war criminals, among others.

The shows have been hugely popular for a number of years but have recently sparked public outrage following two massacres that protesters say are indicative of a deep-seated culture of media-fueled violence.

All over the world, reality shows are full of fights, gossip and intrigue. But in Serbia level dropped even lower.

In 2021, some 12 reality TV stars watched impassively as a convicted felon strangled a woman until she passed out. And all this in the show “Zadruga” – one of the most popular reality shows in this Balkan country.

“All my daughter’s friends know the leading actors and for them they are just TV stars. Not criminals or abusive husbands, just stars,” said Dejan Injak, 44, a Belgrade resident who took part in protests this week calling for the shows to be taken off television.

“I want them banned, just like that. These people cannot be role models.” emphasizes.

Ignatius is not the only one who thinks so.

In recent days, tens of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets to demand an immediate ban on violence programs following two attacks last week that killed 17 people in Belgrade, including eight primary school students.

Criminal culture

A growing movement of outrage is being led by a public fed up with the level of violence in Serbia – in politics and on television.

Mafiosi, criminals and football hooligans are often deified and given access to the pro-government media platform.

Reality shows in particular have been very popular over the past two decades in Serbia, but in recent years they have taken a much more violent form and are broadcast on pro-government channels. Although some of the worst have been stopped, the popular Zadruga is still shown on the Rozovy channel, one of the country’s largest TV stations.

Unjustified violence is also present in other Serbian television programs.

A criminal culture has long been present in Serbia.

Organized crime groups took control of much of the economy during Yugoslavia’s bloody breakup in the 1990s, when harsh Western sanctions forced ordinary citizens to turn to the black market for basic necessities.

While the rest of society struggled to survive, mafiosi and paramilitary groups got rich during the war, cementing the strong link between wealth and organized crime in the eyes of the citizens.

Analysts say the mafia still has a lot of influence. The onslaught of reality TV later drove the underworld into people’s homes, and their depraved behavior was advertised as entertainment. According to one estimate, in recent years, up to 60% of programming on the country’s two most popular channels has contained violent reality shows.

“There is direct propaganda of violence, crime and misogyny, which is directed to social networks and then to society at large,” says Savo Manolovic, a Belgrade-based lawyer who is fighting to have these broadcasts removed.

“They targeted contestants with mental problems and criminal backgrounds, knowing exactly what they would be doing on the show,” he told AFP.

“Brainwashing”

Television networks, however, have been under siege since the recent shootings and subsequent protests.

Pink TV announced that it would temporarily stop broadcasting “Zadruga” “as a sign of respect and solidarity” with the victims of these attacks.

President of Serbia Alexander Vucic he remains firm in his opposition to the protests, which he called “political ploys” to discredit his government.

“We are ready to talk about reality shows… But they want to take my head. They never wanted anything else,” the president said in an interview this week.

Vučić, who is accused by his opponents of criminal ties in Serbia, has long been known for his confrontational style.

Both he and his party frequently denigrate their political opponents and external enemies with terms such as “scum”, “thieves” and “pedophiles”, and insults and insults dominate parliamentary sessions.

“Violence has become the main form of communication in Serbia – not only in reality shows. We are constantly confronted with political messages that adversaries must be destroyed,” Milos Biro, a retired psychology professor, told AFP.

For her part, Belgrade University professor Jelena Djordjevic says reality shows broadcast on pro-government networks fit perfectly into the current political climate, where aggression is rewarded.

The shows often run in parallel with political broadcasts, including frequent interviews with Vučić, members of his party, and other political allies.

“I think they are deliberately and strategically targeting uneducated, lonely and unfortunate voters who love these programs… This is a barbaric way of brainwashing by those in power,” she concludes.

With information from APE-MPE and AFP