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Opposition MPs assessed today, at a meeting of the Serbian Assembly's Committee for Culture and Information, that the process for selecting members of the REM (Regulatory Body for Electronic Media) Council has "failed," stating that representatives of the government are trying to impose rules that are contrary to the law - as they are only interested in having media control.

In the modern media environment, where information is ubiquitous yet often unreliable, media literacy becomes a crucial tool for safeguarding truth and democratic values. By strengthening media literacy, we build a more resilient society, empower individuals to seek and share accurate information, and create a space for professional, independent, and credible journalism that serves the public interest. This is the conclusion drawn by participants in the panel discussion "Media Literacy as a Citizen's Weapon Against Manipulation," organized by the Press Council.

The outcome could have been completely different. The government could have nominated associations and candidates who meet the precisely written legal requirements for the election of members of the REM Council. With the majority they hold in the parliamentary Culture and Information Committee, and subsequently in the National Assembly of Serbia, they could have selected a new Council, in which they would also have a majority of a total of nine members. Under pressure from students, the public, and even the European Union, they could have "allowed" a few independent candidates and thus concluded a process that has been delayed for months and which already experienced a debacle earlier this year due to its illegality. They could have, but they did not.

At today's meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Culture and Information, the opinions of the relevant ministries regarding the implementation of the legal provisions in the process of proposing candidates for members of the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media were discussed, as well as a proposal to postpone the Public Hearing on the topic "Discussion with Candidates for Members of the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media," the Committee stated in a press release.

The regular Assembly of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia was held in Belgrade. Following the Assembly session, a panel was conducted to present the latest report on the state of media freedom in Serbia.

It will be increasingly difficult for journalists. I expect many more casualties, grieving families, and attacks on reporting everywhere, says Anthony Bellanger, Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists, regarding the fact that no one has been held accountable for the murders of at least 184 journalists and media workers in the conflicts in Gaza and four in Iran. He speaks about the collapse of the United Nations and the impotence of the international community.

Darko Glišić's statements must be taken seriously, regardless of how bizarre and absurd they may be. The minister made threats, announced that he would release some content about us, and admitted to monitoring our movements. He threatens journalists and insults them, and he declined our request for an interview, says KRIK journalist Sofija Bogosavljev after the minister's vulgar insults regarding the investigation that reveals the value of his assets.

At least five female journalists from various media outlets in Serbia have been laid off, primarily classified as technological redundancies, after posting photos from student protests on their personal social media accounts, writing about the protests, or opposing certain decisions made by the media management of the organizations they work for.

The Minister for Public Investments, Darko Glišić, falsely accused KRIK journalists this morning on Happy TV of collaborating with the Kavač clan, and insulted the editor and journalists by calling them voyeurs and liars. Glišić's accusations and insults came after KRIK published details about his assets, as well as revealing that his former partner, while they were together, purchased three apartments that she could not afford with her official income.