Media in Montenegro - Article

After the dissolution of Yugoslavia and a transition period, in Montenegro - now a candidate country for EU membership - the evolution of the media landscape continued in parallel with the attempts to accelerate democratic developments. Interview with Mihailo Jovović, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Vijesti

By Sava Mirković

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA and BHS

The EU must prioritise media freedom and human rights in Türkiye - Article

Call on the new European Commission and the new European Parliament to strengthen their commitment in their relations with Türkiye

Media Freedom Mission to Romania questions fairness of electoral coverage - Article

Urgent reform of political funding for ‘press and propaganda’ needed to end media dependency on political parties

Italy: MFRR open letter to the President of the European Parliament and the President of the European Commission - Article

MFRR partner organisations sent a letter to President Metsola and President von der Leyen to express serious concerns about the declining media freedom in Italy and bring to their attention the findings of the recent advocacy mission to Rome

Lithuania: Joint letter from mediafreedom organisations - Article

Draft amendment to Lithuanian law on national radio and television threatens public broadcaster’s funding model

Serbia: media independence is an exception rather than the rule - Article

Increasing political and financial pressure threatens the independence and editorial autonomy of many media outlets in Serbia. We interviewed Irina Milutinović, Senior Research Associate at the Institute of European Studies in Belgrade and co-author of the Country Report on Serbia of the Media Pluralism Monitor 2023

By Serena Epis

Originally published on OBCT , also available in ITA

Media freedom groups call on Slovakia’s Parliament to reject public broadcasting bill - Article

Critics warn: proposed law could seriously undermine the independence of public media. Journalists and media freedom groups are urging Slovakia’s MPs to reject the proposed public service broadcasting bill scheduled for parliamentary review this week. Despite recent amendments to the bill, the new structure would lead to the politicization of the broadcaster in breach of the European Media Freedom Act.

Croatia: SafeJournalists and MFRR partners express full solidarity and support to Hrvoje Zovko in further legal battle - Article

Following the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn the the previous verdicts on the case involving Hrvoje Zovko and the Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), media freedom organisations show full support to the Croatian journalist in his appeal to the Constitutional Court

Urgent action is needed to address the financial deadlock facing Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Article

Today the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) express concern at the critical financial situation facing Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT)

Media Capture in the Western Balkans: From captured states to captured media - Reports

The policy brief produced by Southeast European Leadership for Development and Integrity (SELDI)  provides an analytical insight into the mechanisms behind media capture in the Western Balkans countries, as a phenomenon that negatively affects the media landscape in those countries through impairment of media freedom and pluralism. With the region being on track for EU accession, media capture presents a paramount problem that the brief addresses