CoE media freedom report says Serbian journalists under attack in 2025

The report was drafted by partner organizations working with CoE on its Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.

"In 2025, Serbia emerged as a major flashpoint for attacks on press freedom in Europe. The number of Platform alerts rose sharply over the course of the year, as the media environment grew increasingly hostile for journalists, particularly in the aftermath of the fatal collapse of a railway canopy in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which triggered nationwide anti-corruption protests," the report said.

It recalled that the 2025 Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom’s Media Monitoring Monitor (MPM), which maps risks for media pluralism and the safety of journalists across Europe, identified high risks (68%) in Serbia, over the concentration of the media market under a growing state-party control.

"According to the MPM, the appointment process to the Council of the Regulatory Authority of Electronic Media (REM),Serbia’s media regulator, was again conducted in a flawed manner, defined by many as lacking the necessary transparency and independence," it said.

The report said that the situation deteriorated for independent journalists reporting on and at the front lines of the protests. "Excessive use of force by law enforcement posed a serious additional risk to journalists’ safety, with police officers responding either through inaction or by directly confronting journalists with violence and arbitrary arrests. A protest in Belgrade on 28 June was particularly violent, resulting in injuries to numerous journalists. Novi Sad also saw repeated incidents of obstruction against journalists, including arrests and the confiscation of equipment," it added.

The report warned that high-ranking officials, including President Aleksandar Vucic, made statements which helped foster hostility towards independent journalists by framing them as “enemies” of the state. "This hostility was particularly directed at the main remaining independent TV station N1, the report said and recalled several instances of threats and accusations leveled against that newsroom including the president's statement that N1 is pure terrorism.

It recalled that in April, the main independent TV channels, N1 and Nova TV, were removed from satellite television service, leaving viewers with no choice but to watch these channels on the internet.

Journalists’ unions were also targeted by smear campaigns, the report said. "The newly created Association of Journalists of Serbia (ANS) spread false narratives, labelling the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), an organisation that “supports the riot organisers” in a vilification campaign publicly backed by Vucic. NUNS was also attacked by the pro-regime Insajder tabloid and TV," it added.

The report recalled that the OCCRP and Belgrade-based KRIK revealed politically motivated plans to weaken the independence of N1 and Nova when they published an audio recording of a phone call between United Group CEO Stan Miller and his counterpart at the state-controlled Telekom Serbia Vladan Lucic.

"The public broadcaster RTS, criticised for its coverage of protests, has not been spared from political interference. Media professionals in various media outlets, such as Euronews Serbia, ELLE Serbia, Večernje Novosti and Politika, have been fired or forced to resign, for resisting censorship and defending ethical journalism," the report said.

It added that Serbia is one of the countries in Europe with the highest number of SLAPPs against the media, with investigative media outlets probing crime and corruption bearing the brunt of this legal pressure.