US Ambassador Kyle Scott told N1 on Thursday that the media in Serbia are not being used to safeguard democracy but for attacks on opponents.

He said that there has been a lot of talk about media freedom, a lack of professionalism, tabloidization which does not benefit the citizens, adding that this was also the view of international organizations dealing with the media situation.  

This is not just about freedom of the media but about the media not being used to safeguard democracy and being used instead to attack opponents regardless of political option, he said.  

The ambassador warned that this is not good for democracy, the environment and the daily functioning of the state. The media should serve as a system of control and balance and that might not always be pleasant for the authorities but it is a key element for society and its leaders, he added.