Nasa Borba Case

Do you remember Garcia Marquez’s novel Chronicle of an Announced Death? That title surfaced from the depths of my memory in recent days, while I was following the agony of Nasa Borba, the first independent daily in post-communistic Serbia.

Nasa Borba appeared on the newsstands for the first time on February first, 1994; previously the then (and current) state government had adopted the offices, cash, name, and all else that used to belong to the former daily and company Borba. All - except it’s employees. An overwhelming majority of them refused to work for the “employer” who had broken down the doors of their house with a military boot and had executed an “expropriation of expropriators”, of which even the famous “experts of the transformation of ownership” wouldn’t be ashamed, and who had marked the fashion season of 1946/47 with their long leather coats. Which is why they founded the first privately owned political daily (just as, to remind our readers, VREME was the first political weekly). For the then current regime, that was the most uncomfortable thing, since the sad destiny of, for example, Studio B or Politika show that only non-reputed private ownership of media is a lasting guarantee of maintaining independence from the government. Nasa Borba fought for this daily, which is why it has been a speck in the eye of the government from day one. Even Serbia’s female Comrade number one - a person who has, by her own non-amusing example, demonstrated that a scribbling mania can sometimes prove to be harmful to the environment, and not only to the person afflicted with this malady - has mentioned this daily a few times, as holding a high place on the list of “mercenaries of the new world order”. However, apart from a minor annoyance, she couldn’t otherwise harm Nasa Borba and other significant independent publications.

Or perhaps she could, and still can? Those who believe in “conspiracy theory” - and who are in no way concentrated only among the followers of Dedinje’s regime - consider that even the shakedown in Nasa Borba is part of a “devilish plan” which certain highly devious politico-media commandos from the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), The Yugoslav United Left (JUL), or the infamous state security services (UDBA), or god knows from where else, are managing. There is no doubt that the former would like this to be true, however that “school of opinion” neglects a very important domestic mentality fact: there is no such thing which our enemies could devise or hope for, and which we aren’t capable of executing without them! Which is why, on this occasion as well , one ought to dedicate one’s attention toward how the independent press, in a dedicated and talented manner, hinders itself.

All media which, due to this or that reason, and with more or less justification, calls itself independent, believe in a free media market. There are no privileged and least of all immortal members in that market: newspapers come and go and no one should overly distress oneself over it. Therefore, even Nasa Borba daily, as yet another of the all the more numerous participants in the all the more impoverished market can disappear, without it causing a scandal. All of that is true, however it isn’t the whole truth. Even in the most notorious capitalistic societies, “immaterial” categories such as name, tradition and standing mean a lot, and any media which possess these qualities can transform themselves endlessly - concept-wise, ownership-wise, and in various other ways - and on only rare, rare occasions do such newspapers disappear. The issue is, if you wish, purely a market one: no one gains anything when a certified “trade mark” evaporates into oblivion.

When the issue is Nasa Borba daily, it seems as though the entire matter has been left to utter - at the same time, immoral and non-market - entropy. Which means that, unfortunately, it fits perfectly into the overall social disintegration to which we are a witness. A part of Belgrade’s journalistic, political circles and of the general public, whose number cannot be overlooked, seems to be gloating over a seemingly inevitable catastrophe: “well, they deserve it”! All seem to think that they will get something out of it: those heading rival daily newspapers seem to hope that the disappearance of Nasa Borba will serve them with a seemingly endless army of future readers on a tray - even while continuously talking about NB’s small circulation - and the majority of the miserable political spectators of a sad multi-party Serbia rejoice over the disappearance of one uncomfortable witness, which, with no excuses whatsoever, (mis)treated many vanities and re-evaluated many local myths and legends... Which is why cynical peeping Toms with perfect, Buddhist peace watch the all the more absurd (partially)public conflict of the powerless owner and the even more powerless editorial office, in which mutual accusations serve as artificial compensation for high quality ideas on a possible emergence from the crisis.

Why is VREME devoting it’s editorial piece to the occurrences at Nasa Borba? Let’s put it this way: NB is privately owned, yet the survival of this daily is in the public’s interest! Keeping in mind it’s well deserved standing and immeasurable significance to the Serbian and (ex)Yugoslav informative space, Nasa Borba is larger and far more significant than it’s owner and it’s current editorial office. Which is why it’s disappearance would definitely signify something other than the extinguishment of yet another in a line of new daily newspapers which have - in an ambitious and superfluous manner - covered the Serbian media sky. Even those who never liked it - not a small number - held it as a reference and starting point, by which the position of the others was determined. Which is why it is so cynical to be indifferent to the destiny of an institution which has, and this needs to be stressed, value which is far more significant and lasting than the current employer and the momentary “employees”, among which one can find all sorts - from those whom every editorial office could only hope to have, to those whom only mothers could love. However, management should have taken care of these issues in time.
I opened up the barely alive Nasa Borba this morning - which is becoming more and more expensive and thinner and thinner - and became sad. There is no place left to go. Therefore, now is the time to salvage NB, not on account of a certain Dusan Mijic or some “union members” who believe that a newspaper can - oh Lord Almighty! - not go to press simply due to the fact that they haven’t received their wages on time. Serbian “neo-capitalists” and Serbian “post-self-managers” are anyway part of the same mentality problem. NB needs to be salvaged since it truly is Nasa (ours), an important part of Serbia’s public life. The signator of this article is prepared to give his own concrete contribution to this: I won’t immediately confiscate from it (NB) those five-six computers which they owe me due to unpaid fees. And what are you prepared to do?