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Saša Mirković from the **Association of Independent Electronic Media** (ANEM) stated for Danas that this organization, as a proponent of one of the independent candidates, had earlier made the decision to support the position of the four members of the REM Council who resigned, and if they decide to return, they will try to assist them in that endeavor.

According to the Media Freedom Index for 2026, Serbia ranked 104th among 180 countries, placing it among the countries with the worst results in Europe. Compared to last year, when it held the 96th position, it has experienced a decline, and this year it remains in the group of countries where the state of media freedom is assessed as "difficult."

Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić announced that following the adoption of the Authentic Interpretation of the Law on Electronic Media, they have decided to participate in the work of the REM Council.

Branislav Klanšček, Miroslav M. Nikolić, Branko Radun, Milivoj Pavlović, and Ljiljana Đurđevac will complete their five-year term on the Board of Directors of Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS) on Monday, July 13.

Local journalism in Serbia has been facing increasing pressures in recent years—from financial uncertainty and the withholding of public funds, to digital attacks, targeted campaigns, and threats against journalists. In such an environment, the portal "Pravo u centar" was established, which today claims to be "the only professional independent media outlet in Lazarevac." It is backed by a group of journalists united by the idea of providing citizens with objective and professional information.

Director of the Youth Sports and Cultural Activities Institution "Đorđe Predin Badža," Milan Onjin, verbally attacked and targeted journalist and editor of the Bečejski Mozaik portal, Kristina Demeter Filipčev, accusing her of "spreading hate" and stating that "someone should have told her that."

Since the beginning of the year, at least 88 new media outlets have been registered in Serbia, while around 1.7 billion dinars have been allocated through 140 completed competitions for project co-financing of media content. Analyses by the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) indicate that a significant portion of the funds has ended up with a few large media groups and their affiliated companies, while at the same time, the network of new local portals is expanding rapidly. Veran Matić, the President of ANEM's Board of Directors, assesses in an interview with Mašina that the project co-financing system is no longer fulfilling its original purpose and warns that professional local media are lacking the resources necessary for survival.

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.

In June 2026, the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) recorded a total of **21 cases** involving journalists and media workers. There were 10 **actual attacks**, **seven cases of death threats and threats to the physical safety** of journalists, and **four cases of other threats.**