Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

The backbone of professional and independent journalism

29/09/2020

The media situation in the Western Balkans is deteriorating as a result of repeated attacks on media freedom and systematic undermining of the profession. The countries of the Western Balkans now rank amongst the lowest of all European countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2020 World Press Freedom Index

Of the 180 countries listed by RSF, Bosnia and Herzegovina is in 58th place, followed by Kosovo on 70, Albania is 84, North Macedonia 92, Serbia 93, and Montenegro 105.

Speaking at a conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2019, the general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, Ricardo Gutierrez, said that Media freedom is declining all over Europe but the situation is worse in this region than in any other place.

It is within this challenging media landscape that Thomson Foundation is working as part of a consortium in a project funded by the UK Government's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to develop and strengthen the editorial independence and business operations of local media outlets in the six Western Balkans countries.

Why Local? Local media is particularly vulnerable according to a recent study commissioned by Thomson Foundation which indicates that local outlets in all six WB countries are overwhelmingly neglected compared to the national ones. Here local media refers to those organisations that operate outside the capitals and big cities.

The foundation's study is unusual as there is currently little or no detailed knowledge about local media as most research focuses on the national level. It revealed opportunities to help these media organisations to engage audiences as a potential source of revenue.

It comes at a time of increased importance for local media. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the need for local, appropriate, and accurate information. As the Council of Europe points out the provision of timely information about public health risks is a critical element in crisis response.

Media in the Western Balkans Approximately 18 million people live in the six countries of the Western Balkans, of which Serbia has the largest population, about 7 million and Montenegro the smallest, 0.6 million.

Overall there are around 1,500 local media outlets, almost half in Serbia, followed by 19% in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12% in Albania, 10% in North Macedonia, 7% in Kosovo, and 5% in Montenegro.

The general media markets in all these countries are fragmented, saturated, and opaque in regard to the number of outlets and their operations, with ownership also often obscure. The online media market is the most vibrant, with on average six online outlets operating in each community.

The Thomson Foundation study identifies that, in the absence of stable revenues local media are dependent on public financing, and so, since income from advertising is limited, their editorial policies adapt to the dominant political option, while those that strive to remain professional and independent find it hard to survive, with little donor help available

Local media Some news websites are trying to avoid this dependence on public financing with innovative approaches. Direkt based in Trebinje in Bosnia and Herzegovina is described as an untypical news portal with a primary goal to report not on every event but to focus on selected topics with more analytical and in-depth reports. The aim to tap into a more targeted audience and revenue streams.

Mileva Malesic from TV Forum in Prijepolje, Serbia, offers another approach. The creation of local outlets network for sharing products and information could be of immense help, she says.

TV Forum recently ran a crowd funding campaign to raise funds for new equipment. In less than two months they collected USD 5.500 which represents almost 50 per cent of their monthly budget.

Role in the community According to journalist Nikolija Bijelica from Direkt there are more negative than positive sides to working for a local media outlet.

On positive side one knows better what the main issues in the community are and who is responsible to address them, she says. On negative side the list is slightly longer. Namely, in small communities everyone knows everyone so the pressure on journalists is greater.

Suzana Nikolich from the Kumanovo news website in North Macedonia, has similar views. She points out that local media's biggest advantage is at the same time its biggest disadvantage.

Knowing the majority of people or knowing someone that knows someone is good for obtaining unofficial information, she says. But in the same time problematic due to constant pressure on media workers.

Challenging environment But despite working in challenging environments, journalists in local media outlets are aware of their importance and the key role they play for the local communities

Limos Didani, founder of Saranda Web, a news portal based in Saranda, Albania, points out that the role of the local media is crucial to the voices of the community being heard. The people want their concerns raised and to continue to be in the news until they are resolved.

As an example of slow but steady progress that local media can initiate in local communities Mileva Malesic from TV Forum points to her personal experience. She was the first female journalist to be employed in the Prijepolje local outlet which was set up in 1952. Since her appointment the number of female journalist in Prijepolje has steadily increased. In TV Forum, which Mileva established in 2008, of the 10 employees six of the journalists are women.

This article draws on a Comparative Study: Local Media in the Western Balkans completed by the Thomson Foundation in March 2020. It examined how local media operate across the six countries in the region examining shared characteristics in particular the challenges they faced; financial sustainabili
LINK: http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/latest/the-backbone-of-professional-a...
See more stories from thompsonfoundation

More from Thomson

24/06/2025

Young Journalist Award 2025 is open for entries

Have you got what it takes to be Thomson's Young Journalist of the Year 2025? If youre a journalist aged 30 or under, this is your moment. Entries are now o...

03/06/2025

Thomson Talks at Cambridge University: New Report Charts a Way Forward on Disinformation

What does it take to push back against disinformation in a world of fragmented a...

16/05/2025

New Study Reveals Changing Audience Behaviours in Eastern Europe

Across Central and Eastern Europe, journalism is no longer the default source of information. It competes and often loses against a chaotic content stream drive...

16/05/2025

Entries Open for the 2025 EU Investigative Journalism Award

Journalists working in investigative reporting across the Western Balkans and T rkiye are encouraged to enter their published work for the 2025 edition of the E...

12/05/2025

A practical framework for AI integration in newsrooms

As newsrooms around the world begin to experiment with artificial intelligence, many are asking the same question: how do we move beyond isolated pilots and emb...

09/05/2025

Journalism Under Gender Apartheid: An Interview with Malala Yousafzai and Zahra Joya

At the Frontline Club in London, a venue long associated with media freedom and ...

01/05/2025

Safety, media freedom and integrity top agenda for World Press Freedom Day

As Tanzania approaches a pivotal election year marked by both promise and concern over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on media, more than 300 journa...

23/04/2025

Finding Accountability

In 2024, Thomson's Total Turnout project played a pivotal role in elevating ethical election reporting and strengthening journalist safety in Pakistan. Wit...

16/04/2025

A Voice Amidst Conflict

At a time when Sudanese women journalists face unprecedented challenges, She Speaks Sudan has provided a critical platform for training, mentorship, and collabo...

15/04/2025

We refuse to be erased: Zahra Joya on the women reporting under Taliban rule

As women in Afghanistan are stripped of their rights - banned from education, barred from public life and rendered invisible - a number of women journalists con...

14/04/2025

Reporting the Change

Rwanda's vulnerability to climate change is underscored by its ranking of 124th out of 182 countries in the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative's in...

19/03/2025

Validation Booster: Funding and Mentorship for European Media Innovators

Applications are open for the second cycle of the Validation Booster programme, offering European media outlets, networks, and content creators the opportunity ...

07/03/2025

The Women Journalists Defying Taliban Oppression

Increasing restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan is forcing women journalists take extraordinary risks to their own safety to tell their stories. The ...

21/01/2025

Leading journalists offer unique insights in war and conflict training course

Two senior war reporters from the BBC and Sky News have joined an outstanding array of experts in a unique series of training courses for journalists covering p...

16/01/2025

Thomson Appoints New Director of Research, Policy and Impact

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Mundy as Thomsons new Director of Research, Policy and Impact. Gary will join the organisation in March 2025,...

15/01/2025

Revolutionising News Production: Thomson's workshop at Al Jazeera's AI in Media Conference

The buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism reached a crescendo a...

08/01/2025

AI Disclosure in Journalism: New Report Highlights Challenges and Opportunities

A landmark document examining key issues into how the media industry is grappling with the challenges of explaining how its using AI in its publications and bro...

30/12/2024

21 Years of Media Development: Lessons, Challenges and Change

Leaving Thomson after 21 years, former Managing Director David Quin reflects on a career spent navigating the shifting sands of global media development. From r...

20/12/2024

Thinking of Launching a Podcast? Let Our New Guide Show You How

Podcasting has become one of the most popular ways to tell stories and connect with audiences, but getting started can be intimidating, especially when it comes...

16/12/2024

Balancing Innovation and Ethics: Thomson's AI in Media Masterclass in Prague

Thomson's Executive Learning Series wrapped up its 2024 calendar with a landmark event in Prague. The AI in Media masterclass brought together 24 media lead...

13/12/2024

Reporting in Silence: Young Journalist of the Year on working in secret under Taliban rule

Reporting in secret under the oppressive shadow of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, ...

04/12/2024

Behind the Headlines: Lessons from London for a Young Journalist Finalist

Somaiyah Hafeez, one of this year's finalists for Thomson's Young Journalist of the Year Award, had a transformative visit to London. As the only finali...

26/11/2024

Afghan Reporter Wins Young Journalist of the Year 2024

A woman journalist from Afghanistan has been named Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year 2024. The journalist, who we are not naming for her ow...

13/11/2024

EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2024 honour powerful storytelling

Award-winning journalists from the Western Balkans and T rkiye break new ground with impactful investigations on healthcare, environmental threats, human rights...

05/11/2024

Somaiyah Hafeez: Finalist for Young Journalist of the Year 2024

Somaiyah Hafeez, a journalist and writer from Balochistan, Pakistan, stands out for her commitment to telling the stories of overlooked communities in her regio...

05/11/2024

Aisha Farrukh: Finalist Young Journalist of the Year 2024

Aisha Farrukh a multimedia journalist from Pakistan focuses on human interest stories and aims to create change through her storytelling. Twenty eight year old ...

05/11/2024

Afghan woman reporter: Finalist, Young Journalist Year 2024

One of the three finalists for the Young Journalist of the Year 2024 is a woman journalist working in secret in Afghanistan because of the restrictions imposed ...

31/10/2024

Revealing our finalists for the Young Journalist of the Year 2024

Three journalists whose stories give a voice to people who are oppressed or marginalised have been chosen as the finalists for the 2024 Young Journalist of the ...

16/10/2024

New role at Thomson for Federica Varalda

We are pleased to announce that Federica Varalda has been appointed as Managing Director - Development for the Thomson Group. She will be leading project develo...

23/09/2024

Courageous journalism showcased as shortlist for Young Journalist Award 2024 announced

Reporting from a female journalist who is working in secret due to Taliban restr...

30/07/2024

Yara El Murr: A year on from winning the Young Journalist Award

We caught up with Yara El Murr, winner of the Young Journalist Award 2023, to find out how her life has changed since scooping the main prize for her investigat...

23/07/2024

Finding a Balance as AI Advances

Brussels was the location of our third Thomson Talks with Madhav Chinnappa held on 25 June 2024, focused on the specific subject of AI/News & Regulation. Four k...

03/07/2024

AI in Central European Newsrooms: Thomson s New Study Reveals Insights

AI's integration into journalism has sparked a mix of enthusiasm and scepticism across Central Europe, according to research led by Thomson Foundation in co...

01/07/2024

Entry Opens for Young Journalist of the Year 2024

This was such a confidence boost and so much motivation to keep pushing forward in my work and public service journalism. Yara El Murr from Lebanon recollecti...

21/06/2024

Competition to achieve trusted newsroom status as new campus is launched

A new platform dedicated to helping journalists win audience trust and tackle disinformation has been launched and with it a competition offering newsrooms (fro...

30/05/2024

Empowering Media Leaders: Transformative Insights from the Executive Learning Series

Navigating Strategy, Ethics, and Innovation in the evolving European media lands...

28/05/2024

AI and Disinformation in Taiwan's 2024 Election

This is a summary of the report commissioned by Thomson on AI Disinformation Attacks during Taiwans 2024 Presidential Elections, written by Professor Chen-ling ...

13/05/2024

Entry opens for EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2024

Journalists from the Western Balkans and T rkiye can now submit their investigative stories published in 2023 for the EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2024...

03/05/2024

Sudan: New WhatsApp Course Equips Journalists to Report on Conflict Related Sexual Violence

An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...

29/04/2024

She Speaks Sudan': Thomson launches programme to empower women journalists and civil society actors in exile

A groundbreaking initiative offering training and mentoring to 30 women journali...

23/04/2024

Tackling lies online: the answer may be all in the mind

Psychology can play an important role in helping us understand what audiences respond to (Dr Jon Roozenbeek, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab) For newsroo...

10/04/2024

AI and Regulation: Advocating for an Informed and Collaborative Approach

A regulator, a technologist and a politician walking into a conference room - the beginning of a very geeky joke - or more accurately, the start of the second T...

09/04/2024

AI and Disinformation in Taiwan s 2024 Election

This is a summary of the report commissioned by Thomson on AI Disinformation Attacks during Taiwans 2024 Presidential Elections, written by Professor Chen-ling ...

04/04/2024

Rethinking how we tackle disinformation in the age of AI

This fantastic course will help you understand and fight disinformation, an absolutely essential skill to acquire during this global election season. Sign up an...

02/04/2024

Transformative Technology in challenging media landscapes

Thomson's work in captive, closed and repressive media landscapes has long been about making sure we get the best possible idea of what people really need f...

28/03/2024

No votes for all

Out of an estimated 20,000 journalists in Pakistan, less than one thousand are women according to a recent Gender Disparity Report published by the Internationa...

15/03/2024

Connecting and training Sudanese journalists-in-exile

To help empower Sudanese journalists living in exile amidst the ongoing conflict in their homeland, Thomson trainers have been delivering workshops designed to ...

01/03/2024

Award winning young journalists get their mojo in London

MoJo is something I want to pursue further and include, not as a last thought, but as a one of the components of my daily work. Michelle Banda Vodacom Young Jou...

23/01/2024

Open Call: Executive Learning Programme For Media Professionals in the Western Balkans

A chance to apply for the new learning programme specifically designed for media...

16/01/2024

AI and Disinformation: why collaboration and culture change matter

This is a summary of the inaugural Thomson Talks with Madhav Chinnappa held on 30 November 2023 focused on the specific subject of AI/News & Disinformation. Th...