The Bureau of Social Research (BIRODI) has confirmed that the media campaign highlighting the positive effects of lithium mining intensified following protests against the “Jadar” project in Loznica at the end of June. Monitoring data shows that in the first eight days of July, the topic of lithium was mentioned almost as frequently as in the entire month of June across several pro-government media channels.
Nova.rs previously reported that “Rio Tinto”, with support from the state and pro-government media, launched a campaign on July 1, ostensibly to foster public discussion on lithium mining, but primarily to emphasize the project’s benefits.
According to BIRODI, from July 1 to 8, lithium was mentioned 313 times on programs such as “Novo jutro” on TV Pink, “Good Morning” on TV Happy, “Jutro” on TV Prva, and “Focus” on TV B92. This contrasts with 330 mentions throughout June in the same and other shows, like “Ćirilica” on TV Happy, “Hit-twit” on TV Pink, and “Takovska 10” on RTS. In May, the topic appeared only 37 times in these programs.
Analyzing specific shows, “Novo jutro” on TV Pink and “Jutro” on TV Prva led with 116 and 106 mentions, respectively. “Focus” on TV B92 had 49 mentions, and “Good Morning” on TV Happy had 42 mentions in July.
The surge in mentions in June coincided with the election period. Zoran Gavrilović, BIRODI’s executive director, noted that the pro-government campaign in favor of lithium mining intensified after the elections. He criticized the campaign as one-sided, with government officials acting as PR agents for the project, emphasizing the losses if the project doesn’t proceed while neglecting to present arguments both for and against it.
Gavrilović stressed the need for a balanced discussion, highlighting the economic, environmental, and health impacts of the “Jadar” project. He argued that without such a dialogue, a serious referendum on the topic is impossible. He also pointed out the lack of public space in Serbia for serious, evidence-based discussions.
Nova.rs reported that from July 1, the Serbian government and “Rio Tinto” launched a joint campaign to promote the “Jadar” project. Pro-government media were instructed to organize daily discussions on lithium mining until July 15, featuring a list of preferred guests, including university professors, experts, and political analysts supportive of the project. An agency employee hired by “Rio Tinto” coordinated these appearances.
High-profile government officials, including Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Minister of Trade Tomislav Momirović, Minister of Energy Dubravka Đedović, and Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, have been actively promoting lithium mining. President Aleksandar Vučić has also openly supported the campaign, arguing that foreign services previously prevented Serbia from leading Europe in lithium mining.
In January 2022, the Serbian government halted the “Jadar” project following extensive public protests. However, President Vučić’s recent statements about the technological progress that lithium mining could bring have reignited discussions about the project’s potential revival.
