This study examines the systematic campaign of delegitimization conducted by the Serbian tabloid Informer against student protesters following the November 2024 Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse. Through content analysis of 28 articles published between March and July 2025, this research reveals how tabloid journalism serves as an instrument of political control in illiberal democratic contexts. Applying Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model alongside contemporary frameworks for analyzing media framing of political protests, the study demonstrates how Informer employs escalating rhetoric, dehumanizing language, foreign conspiracy narratives, and false patriotic framing to marginalize dissent. The analysis reveals a temporal escalation from characterizing protesters as “colored revolution” agents to accusing them of terrorism and planning bloodshed. These findings contribute to understanding how tabloid sensationalism intersects with authoritarian media tactics to undermine democratic discourse and civic engagement
tabloid journalism, political protests, media framing, propaganda, Serbia, authoritarianism, student movements