Dnevni Telegraf - History

History

The newspaper benefited from its owner's personal relationship and access to Mirjana Marković, wife of former Yugoslav and Serbian President Slobodan Milošević. By being able to get relevant information from such a top source, the newspaper built up a sizeable readership, though still managing to keep an independent point of view as much as possible.

This Ćuruvija-Marković relationship was described as "a non-aggression pact rather than a friendship" by Aleksandar Tijanić (Ćuruvija's colleague and current RTS General Director) in RTS 'Kad rezim strelja' commemorative documentary shown on February 1, 2006. In the same documentary, Ćuruvija's common-law wife Branka Prpa further explained that their agreement had to do with the ruling couple's request for the paper to refrain from writing about the activities of their two children - Marko and Marija. Ćuruvija was reportedly happy to grant them the wish, but only in return for relevant day-to-day political info. Tijanić also said the information from this highly informed source allowed Ćuruvija and Dnevni telegraf to put together hundreds of front pages over the years, developing a big staff and a loyal readership in the process. Prpa went on to say: "Their relationship was centered around one-on-one conversations that Slavko probably engaged in, like other journalists, hoping to provoke and maybe manipulate her into revealing more than she originally planned, but as the time went on I think they became the ones being manipulated."