Freedom House said in its latest report that the Serbian authorities have undermined the media.
“Serbia under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) provides an informative example of the ways in which elected leaders have undermined the media,” the Freedom in the World 2025 report said.
It added that Serbia dropped from Free to Partly Free since 2019 with rights and liberties steadily deteriorating. “Attacks on journalists and tightening control of the media environment have been among the most prominent features of this erosion. Investigative journalists have faced smear campaigns, punitive tax inspections, threats from leading politicians, and arrests.
Authorities have used their control over regulation and licensing to aid pro-government media outlets,” the report said.
It added that there is a lack of transparency in media ownership along with indirect government subsidies for media, and the politicized allocation of advertising which has helped pro-government media dominate the market.
The report said that ruling party officials have used strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) to intimidate independent outlets and journalists. “All of this manipulation has created an environment in which positive coverage of Vucic and the SNS swamped the information landscape, especially ahead of elections, and critical voices are increasingly silenced,” the report said.
Source: N1
