With more than 2,000 media outlets registered in the country, the market is highly fragmented. The most influential media outlets include the public broadcaster RTS, other national TV channels, the independent cable TV channel N1 and several tabloids.

Investigative journalism is gaining visibility and impact. Banned by the European Union as part of sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian propaganda TV channel RT (formerly Russia Today) now has an affiliate in Belgrade, the capital, called RT Balkan. Kremlin propaganda is also broadcast by national media. 

In a political climate that became even more polarised by anti-government protests in 2023-2025, journalists are often the targets of attacks by members of the ruling elite led by President Aleksandar Vucic, a press freedom predator, and amplified by certain national TV channels. In addition, journalists critical of the government have restricted access to interviews with its representatives and public information.  

Although the constitution guarantees freedom of expression, journalists often operate in a restrictive environment and tend to censor themselves. The media laws adopted in 2023 and amended in 2024 did not improve the legal framework and the media authority is dysfunctional. The regulations prescribed to the prosecutor’s office and the police in responding to attacks against journalists, which yielded positive results in the past, were not adequately applied during the 2025 protests. The judicial system, which deals with murders, attacks and SLAPP proceedings targeting journalists, has yet to prove its independence and effectiveness in protecting press freedom. 

The majority of media outlets derive their revenue from advertising and opaque government subsidies. Access to both is largely controlled by the ruling elite and subject to publication bias. Media concentration is another emerging concern. The influence of the state-owned Telekom Srbija as both a cable operator and media owner has been growing, while the private media group United Media, which notably owns the television channel outlet N1, has been subjected to political pressure, leading to concerns about N1’s independence.

In Serbia, women journalists are still the target of attacks both for their work and their gender. National television and pro-government tabloids often violate journalistic ethics in reporting on topics related to violence against women or minority social groups. Activists with various political backgrounds, including the far-right, harass outlets that cover immigration, the LGBTQI+ community and human rights topics.      

Journalists covering the 2025 anti-government protests suffered a record number of physical attacks, at least 100, many of which were committed by police officers. The efficiency of the permanent working group for the safety of journalists has been hampered by a lack of political will, which led to the boycott of the group by media representatives. The 2024 verdict acquitting four former intelligence officers accused of murdering journalist Slavko Ćuruvija in 1999 was declared illegal in key points by the Supreme Court without being abolished. The case is illustrative of the impunity surrounding crimes against journalists. Disturbing cases of illegal hacking of journalists' mobile phones by the intelligence service and the police have also come to light.