“Working in these conditions is increasingly difficult” – press freedom in Serbia has reached a critical point

Anger still persists in Serbia, six months after a train station tragedy in the country’s north that killed 16 people. The tragic event led to a huge wave of anti-corruption protests that have shaken populist President Aleksandar Vucic’s tight grip on power.

At the same time, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), through the Mapping Media Freedom platform, has registered over 58 attacks against journalists since 1 Nov 2024 in relation to their reporting over the protests or the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad.

“The number of attacks against the press since 1 January of this year is already double that in the same period last year,” said Jasmijn de Zeeuw, legal advisor of Free Press Unlimited. “We observe escalating and new forms of attacks, including the arrest of journalists for causing moral panic and the continued use of illegal spyware against journalists.”

“The media in Serbia is at a dangerous turning point,” also warned a group of Serbian senior editors, citing increasing pressure on independent media from ministers and state-backed media. The editors said their reporters faced “constant harassment, physical attacks and smear campaigns” after their reporting. Serbian police have recently raided, for example, the premises of the Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) in Belgrade, citing false claims of corruption in connection with USAID funds.

Pressure on journalists and media is not new in Serbia. The latest press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) places the country in 96th place, saying that “although there is quality journalism in Serbia, awarded for its investigations into crime and corruption, it is caught between rampant fake news and propaganda.”

Branko Čečen, journalist and former director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism of Serbia for twelve years, sees this increasingly difficult situation for journalists, especially independent ones. He now provides training to reporters to prepare them for the challenges of attacks on the press.

“There are mostly four types of threats weighing on journalists in Serbia. First, there is false information relayed by the government about a journalist to undermine their credibility or damage their reputation. You can't imagine what they might say,” started Čečen. 

“Then, there is also the risk of being spied on and communications being monitored. Added to that, there are also risks of prosecution, charges, or SLAPPs, and in fact, physical attacks can also occur. Working in these conditions is increasingly difficult for independent journalists,” explained Čečen.

Following this situation, a delegation of the Media Freedom Rapid Response went to Serbia last month. In their latest report, the organisation concluded that the current situation of press freedom in Serbia was in a “state of emergency."

“We have seen violations against the press in Serbia in the past years before, but the rapid escalation of attacks against journalists from the highest level of government should ring alarm bells,” said de Zeeuw. “Many of the seasoned journalists with whom we met during the mission remarked that they experienced the situation as unprecedented.”

As anger and protests continue, despite the appointment of a new government, what can we expect? “It's difficult to say how this will evolve and when, but what is certain is that it will change,” said Čečen.

In the meantime, Serbian independent media outlets continue to work as much as they can. “They are still doing their job, a really good job, despite the risks. However, even if they are publishing good stuff, few people see it. It's like a tree in the middle of a forest,” Čečen explained, adding that the most popular media are controlled by the state. 

Free Press Unlimited calls on the Serbian authorities to take concrete measures to protect journalists. “We are asking the Serbian government to cease all public attacks on media and journalists, including those covering the protests and the investigation into the incident in Novi Sad,” said de Zeeuw.

Press freedom organisations also urged the European Union to react while Serbia is still a candidate to join the union. “We also called upon the EU to publicly condemn all attacks on journalists and civil society actors who receive threats, physical attacks and legal threats as a result of their work; and publicly and consistently question Serbian authorities about the status of investigations of attacks against journalists,” added de Zeeuw. 

Source of the cover photo: Stefan Kostić via Unsplash