Serbia has recorded its worst result since the World Press Freedom Index has been measured – in the latest ranking, it occupies the 104th place, which is a drop of eight places compared to the previous report, and falls among the countries where there is a “difficult situation.”
Compared to the countries in the region, our country is at the bottom of the table.
Looking at the countries of the region, ahead of Serbia on the list are Slovenia at 36th place, Montenegro at 41st, North Macedonia at 45th, Croatia 53rd, Albania 83rd, Kosovo 84th, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is at the 90th position.
The Reporters Without Borders report states that except for Kosovo, which improved by 15 places, media freedom in the Western Balkans is generally in decline.
Although they aspire to be EU members, it adds, all three states are hostile toward journalism and prone to propaganda.
The Reporters Without Borders report says that, although Serbia also has quality journalism, which has been awarded for investigations into crime and corruption, it is situated between widespread fake news and propaganda. Despite a solid legal framework, journalists are exposed to political pressure, and crimes committed against them remain unpunished.
“With more than 2,000 registered media outlets in the country, the market is highly fragmented. The most influential media include the public service RTS, other national TV channels, the independent cable channel N1, and several tabloids. Investigative journalism is gaining visibility and influence. The Russian propaganda TV channel RT (formerly Russia Today), banned in the European Union as part of sanctions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now has a branch in Belgrade called RT Balkan. Kremlin propaganda is also broadcast through national media,” states the Reporters Without Borders report.
It adds that, in a political climate further polarized by anti-government protests in the period from 2023 to 2025, journalists were often the targets of attacks by members of the ruling elite led by President Aleksandar Vučić, who is considered a “predator of media freedoms,” and these attacks are further amplified on certain national TV channels.
In addition, journalists critical of the government have limited access to interviews with its representatives and public information.
“Although the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, journalists often work in a restrictive environment and are prone to self-censorship. Media laws adopted in 2023 and amended in 2024 did not improve the legal framework, and the regulatory body for media is dysfunctional. Regulations relating to the conduct of the prosecution and police in cases of attacks on journalists, which previously yielded positive results, were not adequately applied during the 2025 protests. The judicial system, which deals with murders, attacks, and SLAPP lawsuits against journalists, has yet to demonstrate independence and efficiency in protecting media freedom,” the report says, among other things.
As RSF states, this year for the first time over half of the world’s countries now fall into the categories of “serious” or “very serious situations” when it comes to press freedom.
In 25 years, the average score of all 180 countries and territories covered by the index has never been so low.
The legal indicator of the index has declined the most in the last year, which is a clear sign that journalism is increasingly criminalized around the world.
In the Americas, the situation has changed significantly, with the United States of America falling seven places, and several Latin American countries sliding deeper into a spiral of violence and repression.
Norway holds the first place for the tenth year in a row, while Eritrea is last for the third year in a row.
Syria recorded the greatest improvement in media freedom of all countries and territories, so it is 141st in the 2026 Index, compared to 177th previously.
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