Increasing risks for media pluralism and the safety of journalists across Europe

by ZS Law

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) has published its Media Pluralism Monitor report, covering 31 European countries (EU 28 and three candidate countries: the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey).

The Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) is a research tool that was designed to identify potential risks to media pluralism in the Member States of the European Union. This narrative report has been produced within the framework of the second EU-wide implementation of the MPM, carried out in 2017. The implementation was conducted in 28 EU Member States, Serbia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYRoM) and Turkey with the support of a grant awarded by the European Union to the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) at the European University Institute.

In Serbia, the CMPF partnered with Jelena Surčulija Milojević (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Political Sciences), who conducted the data collection and annotated the variables in the questionnaire and interviewed relevant experts. The scores assessing the risks for media pluralism were provided by the CMPF and calculated according to the algorithm developed by the Centre itself. The national report was reviewed by CMPF staff. Moreover, to ensure accurate and reliable findings, a group of national experts reviewed especially sensitive/subjective evaluations in order to maximize the objectivity of the replies given, ensuring the accuracy of the final results. In Serbia, the Group of Experts that was composed of specialists with a substantial knowledge and experience in the field of media included Slobodan Kremenjak, Živković Samardžić Technology, Media and Telecommunications Partner.

According to the Report, risks for media pluralism and the safety of journalists are increasing across Europe. Journalists and other media actors are facing a series of threats and attacks (physical and digital) in several European countries. News organisations continue to be vulnerable to political interference, especially when economic conditions are unstable, while media ownership concentration remains one of the most significant risks to media pluralism and is seen as creating barriers to diversity of information and viewpoints.

The Final report and individual country reports are available here.

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) is a research and training centre, co-financed by the European Union, that aims to develop innovative and relevant lines of research on media freedom and pluralism in Europe and beyond, and to provide knowledge support to the international, European and national policy and rulemaking processes.

Slobodan Kremenjak is practicing law since 1996 and is with Živković Saradžić since founding in 1998. He specialises in the Media and Telecommunications and is is a long-standing legal adviser to several established Serbian and international telecoms operators, broadcast, print and on-line media and their associations. Slobodan served as a policy advisor to the Serbian government concerning harmonization of national legislation with the ECHR case-law, relevant CoE treaties and standard-setting instruments in the field of media and the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services

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