Serbia ranks fourth in Europe in the number of attacks on journalists.

It is emphasized that political independence of the media in the country is the area of highest risk, as all national broadcasters are under the control of entities close to the authorities, reports NUNS.

The report published in June shows that Serbia records high risk in three out of four key areas: market pluralism (71 percent), political independence (73 percent), and social inclusion (70 percent), while the area of basic protection is at a medium-high risk level (60 percent).

It warns that there are no legal measures to prevent conflicts of interest between politicians and media owners, and that through the company Telekom Srbija, the state has "re-entered media ownership, thereby officially legalizing state-party influence on the media."

"Politicians and government institutions use public funds as levers of influence: subsidies, budget advertising, and public procurement systematically favor media close to the authorities. At the same time, the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) does not oversee equal media treatment in electoral campaigns, and public services do not ensure fair access for opposition voices. Editorial independence practically does not exist, and mechanisms to protect against political influence are ineffective or ignored," states the report.

It adds that local authorities "increasingly bypass tenders and use public procurement to finance loyal media, while public services remain under firm political control, without stable management and funding."

The working conditions for journalists in Serbia are assessed as extremely unfavorable, and in addition to the growing number of SLAPP lawsuits, which are a strategy of legal intimidation against critical media, the report also warns of "the use of advanced spy software by the Serbian police and intelligence services to monitor journalists."

The report states that economic factors are used to limit media diversity.

"Although hate speech is formally prohibited, the law is poorly enforced, especially in the digital space where insults, threats, and aggressive communication dominate," the report states.

It is assessed that the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) is "practically dysfunctional and rarely imposes sanctions, even on broadcasters who grossly violate the law – such as those airing violent reality shows during prime time or conducting biased reporting during electoral campaigns."

In recommendations for improving media pluralism in Serbia, the full implementation of new media laws in the spirit of the Media Strategy from 2020 is proposed, along with legal protection for journalists and measures against SLAPP lawsuits, reform of REM and transparent appointment of its members, complete transparency of media ownership and advertising, alignment with European regulations, collective contractual arrangements for labor in the media, and more precise regulation of public funding for media.

Source: UNS.com