According to research by the Media Association, the average Serb spends eight hours a day in front of screens, while young people devote the most time to the Internet. The panel of experts emphasizes the need for better monitoring of the influence of media and advertising.
Media Association presented on November 24 in the “Miljenko Dereta” Room in Belgrade study “The right measure of media 2025”, which provides a current insight into the state of the media market in Serbia. The conference was attended by experts, journalists and representatives of relevant institutions, and the director of the Media Association, Izabela Branković, gave the opening presentation.
Branković pointed out that the study, carried out in cooperation with partners such as the embassies of Norway and Switzerland, the OSCE Mission and the EU delegation in Serbia, provides data on the current state of the media and raises the awareness of local media about the importance of publishing their own data. “The goal is for the media to actively influence the creation of the media image and to contribute to the improvement of the market in Serbia,” said Branković.
The “Media Image of Serbia” analysis presented by Dejan Radosavljević from Ipsos shows that in 2024, 2.182 media outlets were registered, of which 1.180 are online. The number of television stations increased from 211 to 217, the number of news agencies from 23 to 31, while the number of radio stations decreased from 309 to 268, and print media from 863 to 468. Digital media recorded constant growth, while print continued to record a decline.
Radosavljević emphasized that television remains dominant in the segment of information and entertainment, while the Internet is the most prevalent among young generations. Radio has a stable audience, while print is losing readers. On average, citizens of Serbia spend eight hours a day in front of screens, while “Generation Z” spends the most time on the Internet – almost seven hours a day.
A panel of experts from the TV, digital, print, radio and legal framework sectors pointed out that the lack of comprehensive and transparent data makes it difficult to accurately measure the audience and the influence of the media. Milan Kovačević from Gemius warned that monitoring the effect of advertising, especially in the digital sector, remains expensive and imprecise, while Silvija Atijas Ristić from Nielsen emphasized the fragmentation of audience attention and the need to adapt measurement methodologies.
The experts agreed that it is necessary to better regulate and standardize the media market, especially through the cooperation of the media, advertisers, research agencies and the state, in order to use the data in the public interest. Branković concluded that the study can serve as a basis for drafting the new Media Strategy of Serbia, which will expire in the next month and a half.
Source: Vreme
