North Macedonia
Since North Macedonia gained independence in 1991, the country has wanted to join the European Union. Although the climate of media freedom has improved considerably, there is still a lot of progress to be made among the authorities in terms of tolerance of criticism. Journalists still have to be wary of violent attacks and obstacles in carrying out their work. North Macedonia ranks 57th on the RSF Press Freedom Index.
Now that North Macedonia is a candidate to join the European Union, negotiations with the EU Member States are in full swing. Meanwhile, the country continues to face corruption, and while the media and civil society participate in a lively public debate, journalists and activists are pressured and intimidated. However, in order to join the EU, North Macedonia must comply with fundamental democratic values such as freedom of the press.
Low job security for journalists
The Constitution of North Macedonia guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press, but in reality this is not yet the case. Journalists do not have it easy: salaries are low and there is little job security. The media landscape is characterised by a large number of media with declining advertising revenues and fragmentation due to technological developments and digitisation.
Attacks on journalists
The low tolerance for criticism in North Macedonia is made painfully clear by the attacks faced by journalists in the country. For example, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) recorded six attacks on journalists in 2018. Despite this, it was a big improvement on the previous year, when 18 attacks were reported. However, it remains concerning that at the time the police detained several randomly chosen journalists at the station and prevented them from carrying out their work.
Our work in North Macedonia
In North Macedonia Free Press Unlimited works with the Association of Journalists of Macedonia in the regional programme 'Strengthening media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia'. This programme was implemented in cooperation with the Netherlands Helsinki Committee and aims to train journalists and civil servants in improving freedom of expression and protecting journalists. Officials will gain a better understanding of how to use methods to investigate and prosecute attacks against journalists.
Photo: Mite Kuzevski.
