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Censorship in Serbia is prohibited by the Constitution. Freedom of expression and of information are protected by international and national law, even if the guarantees enshrined in the laws are not coherently implemented. Instances of censorship and self-censorship are still reported in the country.
Serbia is deemed "partly free" by Freedom House[2] and ranks 93rd out of 180 countries in the 2020 Press Freedom Index report compiled by Reporters Without Borders, declining its ranking by three if compared to 2019, fourteen if compared to 2018 and 24 places if compared to 2017.[3][4] In 2018, International Research & Exchanges Board described the situation in the media in Serbia as the worst in recent history, and that Media Sustainability Index dropped because the most polarized media in almost 20 years, an increase in fake news and editorial pressure on media.[5]
Within the framework of negotiations with the European Union, the EU has requested that Serbia improve and guarantee freedom of expression and of the press. According to Christian Mihr of Reporters Without Borders, "as a candidate country [Serbia] must seriously understand the importance of the independence of journalists and the need for freedom of the media."[6]
- ^ "2021 World Press Freedom Index". Reporters Without Borders. 2021.
- ^ "Freedom in the World 2019" (PDF). Freedom House. January 5, 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Serbia : RSF expects concrete measures from Vucic after formal meeting in Belgrade". Reporters Without Borders. January 22, 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- ^ "Serbia profile". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ "Serbia, Media Sustainability Index" (PDF). International Research & Exchanges Board. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
mihrwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).