Analysis

Written by: Veran Matić

Election day on Sunday in Serbia became a bloody Sunday for journalists. The shattered, battered and bloodied heads of journalists symbolize the image of elections in ten municipalities across Serbia.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) publishes the "Analysis of the Efficiency of the Actions of Public Prosecutors' Offices and the Ministry of Interior in Serbia in Cases of Attacks on Journalists from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2024," along with a database of all cases.

The situation and conditions under which journalists of local media in Serbia operate have further deteriorated in 2025. The rating given by media representatives is 2.23 for the previous year, compared to a score of 2.53 a year earlier, according to the research "Indicators of the State of Local Media in Serbia for 2025: A Case Study of Eight Cities and Municipalities and One Region," conducted by the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM).

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has published a report titled "Chronology of Attacks on Media Workers in the Area Between Pioneer Park and the National Assembly of Serbia," in order to document all cases of threats to the safety of journalists in the so-called tent settlement in this area in the center of Belgrade. The document also serves as a reminder of unresolved cases of interference with the work of media representatives during a specific time period in a confined space that represented a sort of "forbidden city" for critical and professional media.

In the past year, there has been a drastic deterioration of the media situation in Serbia, evaluated by multiple criteria. Media freedoms in Serbia have been at a concerning level for the past few years, as indicated by numerous international organizations that focus on the protection of freedom of expression and journalism.

As part of the project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists," the Association of Independent Electronic Media, in partnership with the Center for the Development of Local Media (CRLM) from Požarevac and Insider TV, aims to improve the protection system for journalists and media workers. One of the activities of the project is the preparation of a report by CRLM on the state of local media, covering safety, financial, and all other relevant aspects for the independence and professionalism of the media.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists was established by a United Nations resolution on November 18, 2013. It was first observed on November 2, 2014, marking the anniversary of the murder of French journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon while on assignment in the African country of Mali.

Projects that received support in 2025 through competitions for co-financing media content in Serbia were evaluated by various administrative bodies, ranging from 20,000 dinars to more than 30 million, according to an analysis of the competition results conducted by the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM).

The company Zona Plus from Niš, in addition to receiving the highest funds in competitions for co-financing media content, also leads in the number of supported projects from various state and local authorities. According to the database of media competition results established by the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), this company has won funding for 25 different projects, totaling 41,160,000 dinars.