02. 05. 2007

SERBIAN MEDIA: PARTLY FREE

WASHINGTON,  2 May 2007 (B92) - In its annual report, Freedom House describes Serbia as a country with partly free media.

“The constitution of the newly independent Serbia, adopted in October 2006, provides for freedom of the press,” the U.S. NGO said in its draft country report, adding that despite that, “the government, media owners, local officials, and businessmen continue to place undue pressure on journalists.”

“Although internet access is unrestricted, authorities selectively monitor e-mail and other online communications for the 14 percent of the population with online access,” the report said.

“In October, despite international criticism and objections from local nongovernmental organizations, the parliament adopted controversial amendments to the broadcasting law,” the report said, noting that “the legislation made Serbia’s Republic Broadcasting Agency financially and politically dependent on the government, since it required the government to approve the budget of the agency’s nominally independent council.”

Journalists at times practice self-censorship, and many avoid politically charged topics, while media organizations and journalists were again the victims of harassment, intimidation, and physical violence in 2006.
 
“Employees of the private broadcaster B92 were threatened throughout the year. Most incidents involving extralegal intimidation and physical violence against journalists occurred in smaller towns,” the reports concluded.

The draft report, available for download here, also looks at the media environment in the province of Kosovo.

Freedom House is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, founded by Wendell Willkie, Eleanor Roosevelt, George Field, and others in 1941.