SSNM and AJM: The termination of the sports newsroom is one another pressure on the journalists in TV Alfa

The Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the AJM Sports Journalists’ Section strongly condemn the decision of the ALFA TV management to terminate the sports newsroom at this national television. The unjustified termination of the sports program represents additional pressure on journalists and media workers in this medium and another threat to their working relationship in television.

We appreciate that the termination of the sports program is an impulsive decision that does not contribute to the improvement of relations within this television, and due to this reason, we request to reconsider the decision and withdraw it.

Given the recent incidents related to dissatisfaction due to unpaid salaries, which was articulated through the TV Alpha union and the union representative who is part of the editorial office, we have serious reasons to believe that this management decision is revenge against our colleague who is vocal about labour rights issues at this medium.

According to our colleagues from TV Alfa, the sports program has excellent viewership and popularity compared to some other program content in television, which additionally shows that this decision has no economic logic, but aims to intimidate journalists and media workers, and to the detriment to the audience. In this way, instead of resolving the dissatisfaction that is present among the employees due to the violations of their rights, the management decides to reckon with some of the journalists through the abuse of their position.