Media Freedom in Serbia in 2008

Abstract

The results of a survey conducted by the OSCE Mission to Serbia (hereinafter, OSCE) in 2008, in conjunction with the Centre for Political Studies and Public Opinion Research of the Institute of Social Sciences (hereinaft er, the Institute), show that the change of regime in 2000 did bring about the liberation of the media sphere from total control by the regime and censorship. However, the conditions for full autonomy in the media and the enjoyment of media freedoms and rights, i.e. the rights that the media and journalists exercise in the name of general public, still do not exist. Th e media system is characterised by a belated and incomplete process of transition, an accelerated pace of commercialisation in a cash-strapped and unregulated market, a drawn-out transformation of ownership, weaknesses in legal regulations and law-enforcement institutions, the modest fi nancial power of the media, a low level of professionalism and a large number of attacks on journalists. In a variety of ways, these all have had an impact on the manner in which the media carries out its important social functions. In this survey, media freedom entails freedom of expression, freedom to gather, publish and disseminate information, freedom of information fl ow and media openness to diff erent opinions, freedom of editorial policy and media independence, right of access to information, right to monitor and criticise the government and public institutions and other professional rights of journalists that do not undermine the rights and reputation of others, general security and public order. Th e OSCE would like to thank all the contributors who have made this publication possible, above all, the Institute, i.e. the research team consisting of the expert advisor and head of the Centre for Political Studies, Dr Dragomir Pantić, expert associate Dr Jovanka Matić and researcher M.Sc. Zoran Pavlović, as well as Zlatko Minić and Anka Milošević, BETA news agency journalists and independent researchers involved in this project.