OSCE Mission to BiH presents Media Sector Needs Assessment

SARAJEVO, 15 June 2022 – A  Media Sector Needs Assessment, conducted by the Prism Research Agency with the support of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Embassy of Sweden was presented today, 15 June 2022, in Sarajevo at the offices of BIRN. The purpose of the Assessment is to understand the needs of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), including by gaining a picture of media consumption habits, perceptions and needs of the public, and to offer recommendations to strengthen  the  development of independent media in BiH. 

The Assessment is based on a public opinion survey of 1,000 people carried out during February 2022, interviews with media representatives as well as focus group discussions with media consumers.

“It is essential to understand the reasons behind the drop in the country’s standing in the Free Media Index of Reporters Without Borders, as well as what can be done to reverse this concerning trend,” said Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. “It is in the interest of the public to have media that is strong, independent, and the one that follows the highest professional and ethical standards.”

Dino Đipa, from the Prism Research Agency said that the citizens are quite unhappy with the media situation in BiH. General impression is that a very bias, unobjective and unprofessional reporting, fake news and hate speech have been dominating.“The citizens are aware of the fact that, generally, the media have been exposed to political and economic pressures, and that is largely being percieved as the main reason of this negative media situation in BiH. That is why the citizens have been expressing a very low level of trust in the media and its reporting,“ stressed Đipa.

Addressing the lack of robust and comprehensive data on the nature and extent of various needs and issues the media is faced in BiH is central to developing an understanding of the scope of the problem and, therefore, to developing an effective response.

“Media freedom is a corner stone in any democracy. From the Swedish side we are happy that this study will hopefully give us all a better picture of the media freedom in the country and how it can be strengthened,” said Eva Smedberg, Counsellor Development Co-operation at the Embassy of Sweden in BiH.

The Media Sector Needs Assessment was also presented in Mostar on 9 June 2022 and in Banjaluka on 13 June 2022 and it is part of wider efforts to address the challenges related to media freedom and freedom of expression in Bosnia and Herzegovina.