Analysis

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has published an analysis of the co-financing process for media content production projects in Serbia for the year 2026.

Media associations and journalistic organizations (Association of Independent Electronic Media, Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia, Journalists' Association of Serbia, Local Press, and Media Association) have agreed on a proposal regarding the necessary changes in the process of project co-financing of media content, which has been officially sent to the addresses of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications.

A total of 47.23 million dinars was distributed in the competitions held in Novi Pazar, Nova Varoš, Priboj, and Prijepolje. RTV Novi Pazar received 19.8 million dinars, while Slađana Ostojić, a candidate from PROUNS, served on four committees.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has launched several public online databases that provide information to all interested parties regarding the actions of the police, prosecutors, and courts in cases of threats and attacks on journalists, as well as all cases of SLAPP lawsuits against journalists and media outlets.

In Šumadija, 80 media projects were supported through competitions for co-financing media content in 2026, with a total of 71,700,000 dinars. Every third funded project focuses on cultural and historical heritage, while nearly a quarter addresses tourism; however, none of them have been identified as dealing with corruption, public spending, or oversight of institutional operations. In this way, the project co-financing model, which is currently crucial for the financial sustainability of local media, has completely displaced investigative and critical journalism from local media and communities.

As part of the project "Improving the system and mechanisms of prevention and response in cases of threats to the safety and life of female and male journalists in Serbia", the Association of Independent Electronic Media with partners the Center for the Development of Local Media (CRLM) from Požarevac and Insider TV strives to improve the system of protection of journalists and media workers. One of the activities of the project is the preparation of a report by the CRLM on the state of local and smaller media, both in terms of security and financial and every other relevant aspect for the independence and professionalism of the media.

The fees for the members of the committees who assessed the applications submitted for the competitions for project co-financing of media content in Serbia were uneven this year, regardless of how much work they had or how many projects they had to read and score. The range this year was between 5,000 and 70,000 dinars, and at least 9.6 million dinars have been spent for this purpose so far.

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.