Media Freedom : Spotlight: Media Freedom
In many countries of the Western Balkans, the situation of free media is dissatisfying. Media is often misused and tendentious in its reporting. Pluralism of opinion is far from being a reality. However, if the press is not free, also democracy is threatened. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation is therefore working with partner organizations to promote free media and combat disinformation in the countries of the Western Balkans.
News
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Court of Tax Appeals Acquits Rappler and Maria Ressa
The Philippine Court of Tax Appeals has acquitted the Filipino online news website and its president of charges filed over four years ago. The verdict marks a victory for press freedom and fair business standards under the rule of law. “It feels like the world is slowly turning right side up” Ressa stated as the independent news website reasserts their mission never to yield from instruments of intimidation and to continue holding truth to power.
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Study confirms Serbian media bias in favour of President Vučić
The project focusses on a detailed analysis and assessment of election-related media coverage and the (equal) representation of election candidates in the media, including the identification of possible cases of political bias and violations of standards of truthful objective reporting. One of the main results of this project is that a brief flicker of supposed *media pluralism” was rather artificial and due to the awareness of international observation. I
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"Simulated Progress" - Serbia's Commitment to Media Freedom
In its most recent progress report, the European Commission has certified only "limited progress" by Serbia in the area of freedom of expression. But Serbia's journalistic professional associations are not even able to recognize this.
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Freedom of the press in the virus crisis Independent media in the Western Balkan
Freedom of the press is not at its best in South Eastern Europe. Whether through obstructions, arrests or aggravated existential needs: the virus crisis puts additional pressure on the hard-pressed media in the Western Balkans.
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Serbian Media During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Find a link to the Serbian PDF download below - Journalism without Fear or Favour - this year’s theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020. The International Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on 3 May to highlight violations of press freedom and the importance of free and independent reporting. As the Covid19 pandemic has also caused an infodemic or pandemic of misinformation, this year's World Press Freedom Day is more important than ever.We have asked Nikola Tomić to answer some questions on how media and journalists are coping with the new challenge of reporting on Covid19 in Serbia.
