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Among correspondents in southern Serbia, there are millionaires, but not in terms of income, rather in the number of kilometers traveled. Aside from the established definitions of the profession from journalism textbooks, which describe a journalist as someone who regularly sends news and reports from cities or countries outside their home editorial office, current correspondents in the south have their own perspective on the profession – based on their personal experiences, they say that it is “nice to be in this field, but not advisable,” that it is a “pathological love,” that correspondents in the south are “first when it comes to work, but last when it comes to payment,” or that “the journalistic job is the hardest to do, but also the hardest to give up.”

The situation in the media today is more complex than in the 1990s, but they will survive as long as there are journalists who are dedicated to their profession, it was concluded today in Novi Pazar during the panel discussion "More Than News."

In May 2026, the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) recorded a total of **eight incidents** involving journalists and media workers. There were **three actual attacks** and **five cases of death threats and threats to the physical safety** of journalists. Although the number of recorded attacks was lower than in previous months, the threats directed at journalists were extremely serious and brutal. Additionally, incidents of physical obstruction of journalists while reporting from public events were again noted, indicating the ongoing risks faced by media workers in the field.

In May 2026, the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation recorded at least 135 verbal attacks from state officials and party functionaries of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) against journalists and media outlets, delivered via social media, in media appearances, and during sessions of the National Assembly.

Based on the 69 completed competitions for project co-financing of media content in Serbia for the year 2026, funds amounting to nearly 723 million dinars have been allocated.

The Mayor of Subotica, Stevan Bakić, has issued a Decision on the distribution of a total of 35,200,000 dinars for co-financing projects for the production of media content in the field of public information in 2026. The largest amount of funding was awarded to the media of Vladan Stefanović, receiving 14.8 million dinars, while Yu Eco received 9.6 million dinars.

SLAPP lawsuits in Europe are increasingly being used as a means of pressure on journalists, media, activists, and civil society organizations. Their goal is not just a legal victory, but also intimidation, exhaustion, and deterrence from reporting on issues of public interest, as noted in the online workshop "Addressing abusive lawsuits. What can journalists do when they are SLAPP-ed?" held on June 1 as part of the project M4CD – Media for Citizens and Democracy in the Digital Age.

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its members from Slovenia (SNS, DNS), Croatia (HND, TUCJ), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH Journalists), Montenegro (TUMM), and Serbia (NUNS, UNS, Nezavisnost) express serious concern over the current uncertainty faced by media operating within the Adria News Network following confirmation of an agreement to sell Adria News S.à r.l. to the international investment group Alpac Capital.