Croatia💼 BusinessConservativeOverlooked by progressives
Pink's owner is laying off about a thousand people.
Željko Mitrović, owner of Pink Media Group, announced via social media that he has dismissed all ensembles at the Odeon Theatre in Belgrade, resulting in 150 job losses. He further stated that approximately 1,000 employees across around ten other companies within his business group face termination because those entities have not yet reached financial stability. The Odeon Theatre began operations in September 2024 after Mitrović purchased the former cinema building in central Belgrade. Although he described the decision as emotionally difficult, Mitrović indicated that workforce reductions would continue throughout his corporate structure. This move marks a significant contraction of his media and entertainment holdings shortly after their recent expansion.
Željko Mitrović, owner of Serbia’s Pink Media Group, announced on social media that he has dismissed all performance troupes at the Odeon Theatre in Belgrade, leaving approximately 150 employees without work. In a post dated October 29, 2026, Mitrović stated that he expects to lay off around 1,000 workers across his entire business system. He described the decision as one of the hardest days of his life, filled with emotion, love, warmth, and understanding. The cuts affect roughly ten companies within his group that have not yet reached profitability, which he referred to as reaching the green zone. He signed the message with the phrase, “Your Žex loves you,” and told former colleagues to see them in better times. The Odeon Theatre began operations in September 2024 after Mitrovi purchased the building of the former Odeon cinema in 2022. Located on Queen Natalie Street in central Belgrade, the venue had been open for less than two years before the dismissals. Sources indicate that Mitrovi had already hinted at the theatre’s closure and other structural changes within his corporate empire toward the end of the previous year. Mitrović is widely recognized as a media mogul and the proprietor of TV Pink, a channel known for its close alignment with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. His television network frequently broadcast uncritical regime propaganda and attacked political opponents. This friendly relationship extended beyond broadcasting into state contracts. Mitrovi’s company, Pink Research and Development Center, secured government work for the development and production of combat drones, specifically the IKA Bomber and IKA-ROCKETDron models. The announcement of mass layoffs came just days after Vučić lost the recent elections. Following the electoral defeat, the Student List faction signaled plans to audit numerous state contracts. This timing suggests a direct link between the political shift and the financial pressures facing Mitrovi’s enterprises. While the initial wave of terminations targeted the theatrical staff, the broader reduction in force will impact multiple entities under the Pink Media Group umbrella. The specific reasons for the financial distress were attributed by Mitrovi to the lack of profitability in several subsidiaries, though the immediate trigger appears tied to the change in political leadership and subsequent scrutiny of public spending.
3 reports
N1 HrvatskaIndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 90
Željko Mitrović, owner of Pink Media Group, announced via social media that he has dismissed all ensembles at the Odeon Theatre in Belgrade, resulting in 150 job losses. He further stated that approximately 1,000 employees across around ten other companies within his business group face termination because those entities have not yet reached financial stability. The Odeon Theatre began operations in September 2024 after Mitrović purchased the former cinema building in central Belgrade. Although he described the decision as emotionally difficult, Mitrović indicated that workforce reductions would continue throughout his corporate structure. This move marks a significant contraction of his media and entertainment holdings shortly after their recent expansion.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on private corporate decisions regarding layoffs and business restructuring by a media mogul. While the individual is a prominent figure in Serbian politics, the specific subject matter here is commercial management and employment rather than public policy, legislation, or state-
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (90): Very objective and concise. Uses standard news phrasing ('announced', 'stated') and avoids any value judgments on the owner's political affiliations or media practices. Purely informational.
Slobodna DalmacijaIndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 85
Željko Mitrović, owner of Pink Media Group, announced the dismissal of all ensembles at the Odeon Theatre, resulting in the loss of employment for 150 staff members. He simultaneously indicated that further workforce reductions could occur across other companies within his business network. The provided text is truncated and does not contain additional details regarding the specific reasons for these decisions, the broader economic context, or reactions from labor unions or affected employees.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on corporate restructuring and mass layoffs by a private media conglomerate. While the owner is a prominent public figure, the core subject is business management and employment rather than partisan politics or public policy. The available text presents factual announcements of a
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (85): Maintains a neutral, journalistic tone. It presents the facts and quotes directly from the subject without adding adjectives like 'propaganda' or 'radical' beyond quoting the subject's own description of the day. Balanced reporting style.
tportalIndependentConservativeFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 30
Željko Mitrović, owner of the Pink Media Group, announced via social media that he would lay off approximately 1,000 employees across his various companies, starting with around 150 staff members at the Odeon Theater in Belgrade. The announcement was made shortly after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić lost the recent elections and opposition groups signaled plans to review state contracts. The article notes that Mitrović has been a prominent supporter of Vučić, with his television network frequently criticized for broadcasting regime propaganda. It further highlights that Mitrović’s research center received state contracts for developing combat drones, linking his business interests closely to the previous administration.
Bias read (Conservative): The article frames the layoffs primarily through the lens of political accountability rather than economic necessity. By explicitly labeling Mitrović a 'propagandist,' noting his close ties to the defeated president, and emphasizing the timing relative to the election loss and upcoming audits of 'f'
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (30): Highly biased and editorializing. The headline uses the term 'propagandist,' and the body explicitly labels the owner as a supporter of a former president and describes his media outlet as spreading 'regime propaganda.' This injects strong political opinion and negative framing into what should be a
How each side covered it
The same event, grouped by the political lean of the outlets covering it.
progressive
center
conservative
★
How each side covered it
Support independent, bias-aware news and unlock the social pulse, community voting, and every other Supporter feature.
Croatia
