After 14 years on air, Al Jazeera Balkans is shutting down! Is this the end of a media era or just a cold business decision? Around 200 people are losing their jobs as regional offices in Zagreb, Belgrade, Skopje, and Podgorica close down. Financial troubles and high production costs are cited as the main reasons, but the real story might be even darker. Al Jazeera Balkans, the first Al Jazeera Media Network channel broadcasting in the languages of the former Yugoslavia, is now off the air. Is this a sign that regional media projects have no future or just a result of poor management? Goran Milić, the first program director, probably never dreamed of such an end. While the financial audit remains under wraps, employees are left in uncertainty. Is this the death of free and independent journalism in the Balkans? Or just another victim of global financial storms? The Al Jazeera Balkans editorial team in Sarajevo remains silent, while the region wonders – what’s next? Got thoughts? Maybe it’s time to share them, because news like this shouldn’t go quietly!
