Mass media in Serbia

The 1990s saw the end of state monopoly over the media. Throughout the decade, the media remained divided between state-controlled and independent ones. Media autonomy and the survival of independent media remained a major bone of contention during the rule of Slobodan Milošević. During this time, the media was a tool against domestic and international enemies. Civil society and international donors stood behind the creation of independent media. According to the Association for Private Broadcasting Development, Serbia hosted 480 radio and TV stations in 2000, 300 of which were privately owned, and the rest were local, public media. The control over the media was reached through different strategies. On the one hand, the legal framework on the media system was purposefully left chaotic, while the state maintained the monopoly over the distribution of frequencies and production of newsprints, printing facilities, and distribution networks. Moreover, non-aligned journalists, media outlets, and media advertisers were harassed, jammed, or forcefully closed down – particularly if perceived as dangerous to the government, such as elections, the 1996–97 mass demonstrations, and the 1998–99 war in Kosovo. After the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, most state media changed overnight and supported the new ruling coalition, DOS. The political changes made way for the reconstruction of the media sector. However, post-Milošević governments were unable to bring the transition to completion. A media policy was neglected for the whole decade between 2001 and 2010, not to risk electoral support by unsettling the status quo. The media sector was thus reformed slowly and incoherently, after a long delay. In 2010, Serbia had 523 print media, 201 radio stations, 103 TV stations, and 66 online media. Almost 2.2 million Serbs regularly read print media daily and listen to the radio for on average almost three hours a day. Yet, media sustainability remains at risk due to small advertisement revenues. New challenges include increasing concentration of the advertisement sector, opening up to the risk of pressures from economic groups linked to political parties, as well as the dire general economic conditions in the wake of the global economic crisis. The Southeast European Media Observatory estimated that 25-40% of media advertising revenue in 2014 came from the state; such public spending is not regulated. ==Legislative framework==

The Constitution of Serbia establishes media without prior authorization (art. 50). Licenses, required for TV and radio stations, are granted by an independent body, the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RBA). Censorship is prohibited by the Constitution. The legislative framework on the media in Serbia includes a Law on Public Information, a Law on Broadcasting, a Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, and a Law on Elections of the Members of the Parliament (regulating electoral coverage). In 2012, the real owners of 18 over 30 major news outlets in Serbia remained unknown. In 2009, a Media Register was introduced by amending the Public Information Law, but the amendments were later declared unconstitutional. The 2009 Data Secrecy law shows the liability of journalists if they reveal information related to national security, public safety, and foreign affairs. The government is committed to the completion of the privatisation strategy for media outlets. Previously, several privatisations have failed, while others have given rise to doubts about a lack of transparency, state interference, pressures, and deals to keep them under hidden state control. Journalists in Serbia have a low social status and low social protection. Most journalists have irregular income and no health insurance; their average pay is half of the national average salary, and seven times lower than public officials' salaries. Unfavourable working conditions lead to work overload, low-quality productions, and a lack of attractiveness of the profession for the talented youth. Cases of threats and attacks on journalists persist. In 2008, there were 138 attacks on journalists whilst performing their jobs. The Serbian police is deemed ineffective in tracking down the responsible of threats to journalists. The journalists' associations UNS and NUNS each have its code of conduct for journalists. Both agreed to a common Ethical Code of Serbian Journalists () in 2006. ANEM also adopted an Ethical Code for Broadcasters in 2002, placing truthful reporting at the top. However, several violations of the Codes have been reported, particularly by daily political tabloid papers, concerning the presumption of innocence, protection of privacy, and protection of minors. Since 2010, its respect has been monitored by the Press Council, a self-regulatory body for the print media. The council can only publish public statements, as sanctions. A 2015 survey among journalists reported on the casualisation of work relations in the profession, but also testified to the persistent professional integrity of Serbian journalists. Some 40% of journalists would be ready to leave the profession, while 40% thers would be ready to remain under even lower work conditions. == Media freedom ==

The freedom of the press and the freedom of speech are guaranteed by the constitution of Serbia Serbian media are heavily dependent on advertising contracts and government subsidies which make journalists and media outlets exposed to economic pressures, such as payment defaults, termination of contracts, and more. As of 2024, Serbia ranks 98th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index report compiled by Reporters without borders, down from 59th in 2016. ==Media outlets==

Print media Serbia got its first newspaper in 1834. was launched in 1904 and continues today as a civic-oriented newspaper; it is the oldest daily newspaper in the Balkans. introduced fact-based reporting, editorials, sport sections, and female journalists to the region, thus contributing to the modernization and Europeanization of journalistic standards in Serbia. After 2000, tabloid press spread, and commercial and entertainment press advanced. Many news outlets were privatized, some of them also in the hands of foreign investors, including and Blic. The lack of transparency over ownership of media groups remains an issue, especially for short-lived political tabloids, which are often used for political campaigns. Tabloids in Serbia are "characterized by conservativism, nationalistic ideology, hate speech, and disregard of professional and ethical norms", Radio broadcasting Radio Belgrade started operating in 1929 as a state enterprise. The earlier local radio stations appeared after the Second World War, the first one in Zaječar in 1944, and started growing since the 1960s. They were funded by local governments and set up with the expertise of Radio Beograd, as part of the media instruments of local governments, together with local newspapers and later TV stations. Television broadcasting |thumb Television broadcasting started in 1958 with each Yugoslav republic having its station. In Serbia, the state television station was known as Television Belgrade (RTB) and became known as Radio Television of Serbia after the breakup of Yugoslavia. A second channel was launched in 1972, and a third in 1989. Under the Communists and Slobodan Milošević, state broadcasting was controlled by the ruling party, leading to RTS headquarters being targeted and bombed during the NATO action against Yugoslavia. The system developed from a public monopoly, with regional centres like TV Novi Sad and TV Pristina, into a dual, public and private system. While suppressing the development of alternative statewide channels, the government of Serbia allowed the broadcasts of regional and local commercial stations (which could profit from unlimited advertisement time to sell), as well as new pro-government local TV outlets. Television is the main source of news and information for citizens (85%, against 11% for the press and 2% for radio and internet each), while the biggest share of audience goes to entertainment programmes. There are 28 regional channels and 74 local channels. Tanjug's name is derived from Tito's resistance's "Telegraph Agency of the New Yugoslavia", and achieved international prominence in the 1970s, covering West, East and non-aligned countries' events – taking part in the Non-Aligned News Agency Pool, and ranking among the top 10 largest news agencies in the world with 48 correspondents, 900 employees, and 400 news items per day. In the 1990s, it became the main tool for the government's position. Journalists left for either newly established state news agencies in other post-Yugoslav countries, or for new private agencies Fonet (February 1994) and Beta (May 1994), that allowed media pluralism to persist in 1990s Serbia. Its photo archives, with 3.5 million negatives about the most important events in former Yugoslavia, Serbia and abroad, starting from the Second World War, remained the most important in the region and after the liquidation of the agency they were transferred to the Archives of Yugoslavia. Online media Freedom House reports around 200 online news portals in 2014, and 54% of Serbian residents with internet access. Serbia's internet domain shifted gradually from .yu (Yugoslavia) to .rs (Republic of Serbia) after 2008. The national authority on internet domains is the Serbian National Register of Internet Domain Names (, RNIDS). == Media Organisations ==

Trade unions Serbia has two national professional journalistic associations: the Journalists' Association of Serbia (; UNS) and the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (, NUNS), often in conflict. The RRA has taken over wide competencies formerly tasked to state bodies, including issuing broadcasting licences, which is legally conditioned to the lack of owners' affiliations to political parties. According to the European Journalism Centre, RRA is deemed not transparent enough, and recurrent squabbles over the nomination of its board have reduced its credibility in the eyes of the public. The establishment of independent regulatory bodies in Serbia went through several issues. Subsequent amendments to the Broadcasting Law opened up new avenues for possible political pressures over the RRA, e.g. when nominees of the Parliament and government got a longer term mandate than the nominees of professional and civil society organisations. According to journalists, the RRA charges excessive and arbitrary license fees to broadcasters. Print and online media are exempt from license requirements. Republic Telecommunications Agency The Republic Telecommunications Agency (RATEL) was foreseen by the 2003 Telecommunications Law and started operating in 2005. It defines the conditions for radio frequency spectrum usage, the Radio Frequency Allocation Plan, allocates radio and TV frequencies, and monitors their usage. ==See also==