09. 04. 2011

Serbian media independent

Washington, April 9, 2011 (B92) - U.S. State Department annual report on human rights in 2010, which was published on Friday, assesses that Serbia has continued to make progress in human rights.

A section of the reports which deals with the situation in the media concludes that the majority of print and electronic media are independent and privately-owned, even though the state has kept significant resources.

The report also notes that the privatization of local media has not been completed, and that reports of the government infringing on freedom of speech and the press mostly come from the local level and from individuals who publicly or privately criticize the government.

It is assessed that the Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) reports on events objectively for the most part, even though the government holds considerable sway over this medium.

It was also noted that many TV station rely on news from the state-owned Tanjug agency. The report also says that independent news agencies Beta and FoNet have complained that state financing gives Tanjug an unfair commercial advantage.