Media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing growing challenges, including the concentration of media ownership, pressure on journalists, SLAPP lawsuits and the financial crisis affecting the public broadcasting system. These issues were highlighted during a public debate in Sarajevo on the legal framework for protecting media freedom.
Participants stressed the need for coordinated reforms that would strengthen media independence, improve the safety of journalists and protect citizens’ right to reliable and accurate information.
One of the key concerns is the lack of transparency over who owns and finances media outlets in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Studies by the Media Center have warned that hidden interests and excessive concentration of ownership can undermine editorial independence.
Media professionals are calling for greater transparency and measures aimed at preventing monopolization of the media market.
LEJLA BIČAKČIĆ, director of the Center for Investigative Journalism, said that excessive concentration of ownership allows a single owner or conglomerate to dominate the media space.
“The very fact that you capture the media space with one owner, that is, a conglomerate of owners, who then dominate the entire media space, clearly indicates that they then completely occupy the entire media space. This is not the way we contribute to transparency, or democratization.”
Financial independence was also identified as an essential condition for editorial independence. Particular attention was paid to the situation of BHRT, whose financial stability continues to be affected by unresolved issues surrounding the collection and distribution of the RTV tax, as well as debts owed to the public service.
The professional community is therefore calling for reform of the public broadcasting system that would provide predictable and sustainable financing, while protecting management and editorial decisions from political influence.
TARIK MOĆEVIĆ, project manager at the Media Center Sarajevo, emphasized that financial stability is an issue not only for public broadcasting but for the media sector as a whole.
“We constantly emphasize the state of the public service, especially BHRT – financial stability. But let’s mention the financial stability of the media in general. We also advocate that fund for media pluralism, which, of course, carries risks of political pressure.”
Another growing concern is the use of so-called SLAPP lawsuits, which can be used to intimidate journalists and media outlets and place them under significant financial and legal pressure. Participants called for mechanisms that would allow such abusive proceedings to be identified and dismissed at an early stage.
The criminalization of defamation in Republika Srpska was also highlighted as a particular concern.
Bićakčić warned that the increasing number of lawsuits is already contributing to self-censorship among journalists.
“We have a serious increase in SLAPP lawsuits that seriously threaten to seriously enter into self-censorship, and we are already seeing an element of that. Defamation lawsuits have in no way provided any relief from the burden on journalists.”
Data presented during the debate show that from August 2023 to the end of November 2025, the East Sarajevo District Public Prosecutor’s Office received 34 defamation reports, 16 of which concerned journalists, bloggers and editors.
At the same time, from January 2022 to the end of October 2024, the Association of BH Journalists reported 49 cases of threats and security incidents involving journalists to judicial institutions. According to the data available at the time, five cases resulted in convictions.
Participants stressed that threats and pressure on journalists ultimately affect society as a whole. When journalists are prevented from working freely, citizens’ access to information of public interest is also restricted.
DR JASMINKA DŽUMHUR, human rights ombudsman, said that limiting media freedom directly affects freedom of expression and can leave journalists in vulnerable working conditions.
“Any limitation of media freedoms and failure to improve media freedoms is a violation of freedom of expression. This fact alone puts journalists in a situation where they are forced to accept the contracts offered, often work overtime, on weekends, with unpaid work, inadequate contracts, etc.”
The public debate in Sarajevo focused on how various measures could be brought together into a comprehensive reform plan. Participants emphasized the need for clear deadlines, defined institutional responsibilities and effective implementation.
The ultimate goal, they stressed, should be to create conditions in which media outlets can operate freely and independently, journalists can work without fear or undue pressure, citizens can access reliable information, and public institutions remain subject to scrutiny.
