Serbia
In recent decades, the situation in Serbia has been turbulent. After Yugoslavia fell apart, the country formed a union with Montenegro, which was dissolved again in 2006. Serbia then carried on as an autonomous state. In 2008, the parliament of the Kosovo province declared its independence, which was recognised by the main EU Member States and the US. However, other countries still have their doubts. Press freedom in Serbia remains limited, so the country is ranked 79th on the RSF Press Freedom Index.
The Republic of Serbia wants to join the European Union and accession negotiations between the country and the EU Member States are now in full swing. These negotiations are scheduled to conclude in 2024, so that Serbia can join the EU by 2026. However, there is still a lot of work to be done before Serbia meets the EU's fundamental values, including press freedom. The lack of progress on freedom of expression is a serious concern for the European Commission.
Contentious media landscape
Practicing journalism is not safe in Serbia. Moreover, it is not supported by the state. While some courageous journalists denounce sensitive issues such as corruption and crime, given the country's high media ownership concentration, their stories are often only published on the internet. Tensions between politicians and media, fake news tolerated to a great extent by the government, and mistreatment of whistleblowers are issues that make Serbia's media landscape a contentious place.
Dangerous to be a journalist
According to Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), Serbia has become a country where it is dangerous to be a journalist and where fake news is gaining visibility and popularity at an alarming rate. The number of attacks on the media, including death threats, is rising. Inflammatory rhetoric against journalists increasingly comes from government officials. Investigations into attacks on media representatives have stagnated or been suspended. Three murders of journalists have still not been solved, while in other cases of murdered journalists preliminary hearings are still being held.
Our work in Serbia
Free Press Unlimited concentrates on improving the safety of journalists in Serbia. We want to contribute to an environment where freedom of expression is respected and journalism can be practiced without fear. We work together with the Association of Independent Journalists of Serbia, the association Local Press, and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee in the regional programme 'Strengthening media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia'. In it, we focus on the competences of law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities and journalists. We also want to establish a meaningful exchange between the authorities and journalists' associations.
Photo: Maria Rosaria Sannino.
