"A continuous and coordinated approach is needed to counter harmful narratives, reduce social divisions and ensure that the media serve the public interest, as assessed by the panel Hate Speech and Media Literacy, which CCE organized during the event that brought together representatives of organizations from the Western Balkans whose projects were supported through the program 'Improving Media and Information Literacy for Democratic Engagement - MedIA-Lit'", reads the statement by program associate Željka Zvicer.
As stated by CCE, the focus was on the increasingly pronounced hate speech in public space, the weaknesses of institutional responses and the importance of strengthening media literacy as a key tool for countering harmful narratives, and the substantive discussion was attended by representatives of non-governmental organizations, foundations and media from Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia.
"The common thread was the worrying trends that are reflected in political pressure on the media and critics, the spread of disinformation, the normalization of hate speech, and poor protection of journalists and other public actors," CCE added.
President of the Center for Investigative Journalism from Podgorica, Milka Tadic-Mijovic, she emphasized that unresolved attacks on journalists are among the most serious problems in the media sector in Montenegro, and recalled the murder of Duško Jovanović and the wounding of Oliver Lakić.
"Journalists are exposed to pressure and intimidation from political structures, and a particular problem is posed by unregistered online portals that spread disinformation and propaganda, which further undermines public trust in the media," Tadić-Mijović assessed.
Maida Muminovic, executive director of the Mediacentar Foundation from Sarajevo, spoke about the problems facing the media in BiH.
"These are strong political and economic pressures that narrow the space for independent journalism, the political instrumentalization of the media and the introduction of restrictive legal solutions that further limit freedom of expression and encourage self-censorship. At the same time, the lack of transparency in ownership and financing, as well as the weakening of professional standards, contribute to public distrust and the media moving away from their primary role - serving the public interest," said Muminović.
He pointed out the significant connection between political and economic interests and media ownership in Albania. Diego Abedinas, project coordinator of the Tirana Center for Journalistic Excellence (TCJE).
"Such a situation creates financial dependence that leads to self-censorship and the weakening of editorial independence, while political polarization further contributes to the normalization of hate speech in the public space. This is compounded by a lack of media literacy, which leaves the audience vulnerable to manipulation and disinformation," he said.
As they point out, similar trends are also being noticed by organizations in Serbia.
Ivana Lalic-Majdak, project coordinator of the "Right to Image and Word" foundation from Belgrade, emphasized the significant growth of hate speech and harmful narratives in the last year and a half.
"Gender-based and ethnic patterns of hatred are increasingly being used in attacks on students, activists, journalists and civil society organizations in Serbia, while the regulatory framework often fails to ensure accountability for media that violate professional and legal standards," warned Lalić-Majdak.
She emphasized that hate speech is a serious social problem in North Macedonia as well. Biljana Bejkova, executive manager of the NGO Info-center from Skopje.
"This is particularly pronounced when it targets ethnic communities, LGBTI+ people and women in public life. While the legal framework exists, its implementation remains inconsistent and largely reactive. Without stronger institutional accountability and systemic investment in media literacy, harmful narratives will continue to deepen social divisions," concluded Bejkova.
The panelists, CCE adds, together with the participants who actively contributed to the discussion, moderated by Zvezdana Kovač, Director of Strategy and Communications at CCE, clearly emphasized that the fight against hate speech is inextricably linked to the development of media literacy, strengthening professional standards in the media, and increased accountability of institutions.
It was emphasized that individual initiative is not enough, but that regional cooperation, intensive exchange of experiences and systemic strengthening of the capacities of organizations involved in improving the media environment are key.
"The "MedIA-Lit" program is implemented by CCE, in partnership with the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights from Serbia (HCHRS), the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights from North Macedonia (MHC), the Tirana Center for Journalistic Excellence from Albania (TCJE) and the Atlantic Initiative (AI) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the financial support of the European Union and co-financing from the Ministry of Regional and Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of Montenegro," they concluded.
