Journalists Matter, Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists
The Council of Europe encourages member states to transpose the Campaign to the national context. Without each member’s committed and effective effort at national level, through the development of the so-called ‘national chapter’, the Campaign cannot reach its goals.
In this section, we will present developments in Serbia:
National Focal Points
Ms Maja MILENKOVIC, Head of the Department for Regulation, Enforcement and Inspection in the field of Public information, at the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia
National Campaign Committee
Although a dedicated National Campaign Committee has not been formally established under the Council of Europe’s Journalists Matter campaign, Serbia continues to rely on a number of existing coordination mechanisms involving public authorities, prosecutors, police and journalists’ organisations. These include the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, established in 2016, as well as a network of designated contact points within public prosecution offices and police structures, a 24/7 SOS hotline for journalists and an online platform dedicated to journalists’ safety.
Safety of Journalists national landscape
In 2025, Serbia continued implementing measures relating to journalists’ safety through legislative, financial and institutional mechanisms. Amendments to the Law on Public Service Media adopted in June 2025 introduced an explicit obligation for public service media to contribute to the safety and protection of journalists and media professionals as part of their public interest mandate.
Support for journalists’ safety and freedom of expression also continued through the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications’ project co-financing mechanism. In 2025, three projects focusing on journalists’ safety, protection mechanisms and freedom of expression received support, including initiatives addressing threats against women journalists, risks faced by journalists in Kosovo and Metohija, and dialogue among religious media on freedom of expression and citizens’ rights.
The Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office continued publishing monthly statistics on cases involving threats and attacks against journalists. During 2025, prosecutors initiated 134 cases involving 140 victims. Publicly available statistics continue to provide information on trends relating to journalists’ safety and institutional responses.
Through an IPA III project implemented by the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists continued strengthening practical protection...
In 2025, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications supported three projects through its media co-financing mechanism aimed at strengthening journalists’ safety and...
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The aim of the group is to fast-track the investigation and prosecution of cases of attacks against journalists and increase cooperation between public...
Serbia, National chapter
