Reuters Institute: The media market in Serbia is saturated and under strong political control.

The research on Serbia was, as stated, led by Professor Snježana Milivojević from the Faculty of Political Sciences, who, while explaining the context, recalls that following the tragedy in November 2024, when 16 people died due to the collapse of the concrete roof of the railway station in Novi Sad, anti-government protests ensued as demonstrators believed the government was responsible.

The report notes that the "top 5" media brands (TV, radio, and print) in Serbia, in order, are RTS, N1, Pink, Nova S, and Blic, while among online portals the ranking includes N1, followed by Blic, Telegraf.rs, Kurir, and Srbijadanas.

Citizens have the highest trust in N1, Nova, Danas, and Vreme, and the least in Pink, Informer, Hepi, and Kurir.

Furthermore, it is assessed that although mainstream media are under increasing control, the research shows that citizens of Serbia are the largest users of social media for information in Europe (67%), and this trend is even more pronounced among younger generations. Nearly half (45%) of young people aged 18 to 24 use TikTok for news, with a similar percentage using Instagram. Social media were particularly important during the current crisis, as student activists used them to disseminate uncensored information and mobilize protests.

Terrestrial television remains one of the main sources of news, with the average daily viewing time (5.3 hours) being among the highest globally.

"All four commercial television stations are owned by Serbian companies that have close political and even family ties to the political elite. Taken together, mainstream television strongly supports and promotes the political agenda of President Vučić. Recent research has shown that the president appeared on television more than 300 times during 11 months in 2024, and even 141 times during the first three months of 2025," the report emphasizes.

According to their claims, the main source of independent news comes from the cable channels N1 and TV Nova, which are owned by United Media Group.

Advertising revenues are growing at a rate of five percent annually and currently exceed 270 million euros, which is insufficient to sustain the 2,153 registered media outlets.

"Print media are losing readers and revenues, now accounting for only five percent of advertising revenue, compared to more than 27 percent for online media. The print market is oversaturated with nine national daily newspapers and eight weeklies, some of which are transitioning to online or cable television," the research published today highlights.

The full report can be downloaded HERE.