The printed magazine XZ edited by Petar Luković: Popular culture as a means of political struggle

Abstract

In the 20th century, specialized printed newspaper editions dedicated to popular culture and rock and roll typically covered events through announcements, news and critical reviews. Alongside their Anglo-Saxon counterparts, these magazines were also highly popular in the SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). The tradition of rock magazines in the Serbian language (Ritam, Džuboks, Rock...) paved the way for the launch of the XZ magazine, edited by Petar Luković. Published monthly in Belgrade from 1996 to 1999, XZ effectively built upon previous experiences related to popular culture, consistently adopting a critical approach in two main directions: the evaluation of artistic products and the criticism of socio-political realities. The core tool of the authors' political struggle against an authoritarian regime in a war environment and an economically troubled state was their incisive social commentaries, often presented in the form of music album reviews. Utilizing media content analysis, this paper aims to confirm the value of the XZ magazine as a successful product of rock journalism, actively engaging in addressing major societal issues in the former SFRY.