News

Preliminary results of the research on sexual harassment in the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia

World News Day is a global initiative aimed at raising public awareness of the role of journalists in providing truthful news and information that serves citizens and democracy, and it is observed annually on September 28.

Serbia has been functioning for nearly 11 months without the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM), which paralyzes oversight of electronic media and allows for uninterrupted propaganda for the authorities.

The company Telekom Srbija has notified the Serbian Commission for Protection of Competition of its intention to acquire Mondo INC, the publisher of Kurir, as stated by this Commission to Raskrikavanje, adding that they have approved the concentration. This information is not yet available on the official website of the Commission, and they will publish it, they say, when "procedural conditions" are met. Previously, Telekom also received the "green light" for the acquisition of Mondo, which is currently owned by businessman Igor Žeželj, from the antitrust commissions of North Macedonia and Montenegro.

The research conducted by the Institute for Media and Diversity has shown that over the past year and a half, there have been as many as 102 recorded cases of hate speech in the media, with a significant intensification occurring after the collapse of the canopy and the current political crisis.

In the past year and a half, there have been 102 cases of hate speech reported in domestic media, according to research by the Institute for Media and Diversity – Western Balkans. The findings indicate that the most common targets are women and political dissenters, while the main sources are tabloids and television stations with national licenses.

The project of the Novi Sad Cooperative "Medijakult," which received nearly 5 million dinars in last year's competition held by the Provincial Secretariat for Information, was fully realized by other companies, even though the Law on Public Information and Media (ZJIM) does not permit this.

More than two weeks have passed, but I still feel a sense of discomfort, as journalists should not have to face such situations and disrespect for their integrity while reporting from an event, says Vremena journalist Katarina Stevanović, who was harassed by the police. Professor Smiljana Milinkov and photojournalist Marija Čolaković also speak about threats and attacks on them for Cenzolovka.

In August 2025 alone, there were 25 physical attacks on female media workers, 14 of which were carried out by police officers—those whose duty it is to ensure our safety in the workplace. When online harassment, verbal threats, and sexual harassment in newsrooms are added to this, it is clear that female journalists work in an environment of fear and insecurity.