Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Serbian government to adopt the European Commission’s recommendations to improve media regulation and combat Russian disinformation more effectively. The European Commission believes that Serbia has made limited progress in media freedom due to frequent verbal attacks by authorities against journalists, the lack of independence of the Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (REM), lack of transparency about media ownership, and the dissemination of Russian disinformation by many media outlets.
New legislation, which codifies the role of the Press Council and make the public co-funding process more transparent and accessible, has received fierce criticism for providing the possibility of the State buying up media outlets via Telekom Srbija – the Serbian state-owned telecommunications operator. RSF calls on the Serbian government to review these laws in light of the recommendations in the European Commission’s report.
The European Commission recommends measures to combat the dissemination of Russian disinformation, ensure the independence of the media regulatory authority, and protect journalists against all forms of violence and intimidation. The Commission also recommends ensuring that high-level officials refrain from labelling or making verbal attacks on journalists and that threats and cases of physical and verbal violence are swiftly followed up and publicly condemned, investigated, or prosecuted.
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
Serbian Press Freedom Must Improve for EU Membership
Follow us
