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Wednesday, September 30
Global Free Speech

Independent journalists and media in Serbia are facing increasing attacks. Photo: Konrad Zelazowski/Alamy Against the backdrop of ongoing challenges to media pluralism and increasing attacks and pressure on independent journalists – particularly in the wake of nationwide protests following the Novi Sad tragedy on 1 November 2024 – as highlighted by the recently launched 2025 Europe Press Freedom report of the CoE Platform partners, and the 2025  MFRR Monitoring Report, the mission will assess the current media freedom and safety of journalists’ situation in the country. The visit follows-up on a solidarity mission of media freedom groups in April 2025 to discuss possible measures to improve the safety of journalists. The delegation aims to meet with journalists, public officials, as well as representatives of civil society, international organisations, and foreign representations in Belgrade.  Key topics on the agenda include violence against journalists during protests, SLAPPs, impunity for the killing of journalists, media capture, the independence of the media regulator and public service media, investigations into spyware cases, and digital threats against journalists.  The partners will share their initial findings at a press conference on 27 March 2026 at 14:00, at the memorial of murdered journalist Slavko Ćuruvija (Svetogorska 35, Belgrade).  The delegation will include representatives from the following organisations: ARTICLE 19 Europe, Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), European Broadcasting Union, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ),  Index on Censorship, International Press Institute (IPI), Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).  Srbija: Misija za slobodu medija ispitaće dugotrajne izazove i zalagati se za reforme U periodu od 26. do 27. marta 2026. godine, partnerske organizacije u okviru Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) i Platforme Saveta Evrope za zaštitu novinarstva i bezbednost novinara sprovešće misiju u Srbiji. U kontekstu stalnih izazova po medijski pluralizam i sve učestalijih napada i pritisaka na nezavisne novinare – naročito nakon masovnih protesta širom zemlje posle tragedije u Novom Sadu 1. novembra 2024. godine – kako je istaknuto u nedavno objavljenom Izveštaju o slobodi medija u Evropi za 2025. godinu partnera Platforme Saveta Evrope, kao i u MFRR Monitoring izveštaju za 2025. godinu, misija će proceniti trenutno stanje slobode medija i bezbednosti novinara u zemlji. Poseta predstavlja nastavak misije solidarnosti organizacija za slobodu medija iz aprila 2025. godine, tokom koje su razmatrane moguće mere za unapređenje bezbednosti novinara. Delegacija ima za cilj da se sastane sa novinarima, javnim zvaničnicima, kao i predstavnicima civilnog društva, međunarodnih organizacija i stranih predstavništava u Beogradu. Ključne teme na dnevnom redu uključuju nasilje nad novinarima tokom protesta, SLAPP tužbe, nekažnjivost za ubistva novinara, zarobljavanje medija, nezavisnost regulatora i javnih medijskih servisa, istrage o slučajevima špijunskog softvera, kao i digitalne pretnje novinarima. Partneri će podeliti svoje početne nalaze na konferenciji za novinare 27. marta 2026. godine u 14:00 časova, kod spomen-obeležja ubijenom novinaru Slavku Ćuruviji (Svetogorska 35, Beograd). Delegaciju će činiti predstavnici sledećih organizacija: ARTICLE 19 Evropa, Udruženje evropskih novinara (AEJ), Komitet za zaštitu novinara (CPJ), Evropska radiodifuzna unija, Evropski centar za slobodu štampe i medija (ECPMF), Evropska federacija novinara (EFJ), Indeks o cenzuri, Međunarodni institut za štampu (IPI), Opservatorija za Balkan, Kavkaz i Transevropu (OBCT) i Reporteri bez granica (RSF). READ MORE

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Independent journalists and media in Serbia are facing increasing attacks. Photo: Konrad Zelazowski/Alamy Against the backdrop of ongoing challenges to media pluralism and increasing attacks and pressure on independent journalists – particularly in the wake of nationwide protests following the Novi Sad tragedy on 1 November 2024 – as highlighted by the recently launched 2025 Europe Press Freedom report of the CoE Platform partners, and the 2025  MFRR Monitoring Report, the mission will assess the current media freedom and safety of journalists’ situation in the country. The visit follows-up on a solidarity mission of media freedom groups in April 2025 to discuss possible measures to improve the safety of journalists. The delegation aims to meet with journalists, public officials, as well as representatives of civil society, international organisations, and foreign representations in Belgrade.  Key topics on the agenda include violence against journalists during protests, SLAPPs, impunity for the killing of journalists, media capture, the independence of the media regulator and public service media, investigations into spyware cases, and digital threats against journalists.  The partners will share their initial findings at a press conference on 27 March 2026 at 14:00, at the memorial of murdered journalist Slavko Ćuruvija (Svetogorska 35, Belgrade).  The delegation will include representatives from the following organisations: ARTICLE 19 Europe, Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), European Broadcasting Union, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ),  Index on Censorship, International Press Institute (IPI), Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).  Srbija: Misija za slobodu medija ispitaće dugotrajne izazove i zalagati se za reforme U periodu od 26. do 27. marta 2026. godine, partnerske organizacije u okviru Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) i Platforme Saveta Evrope za zaštitu novinarstva i bezbednost novinara sprovešće misiju u Srbiji. U kontekstu stalnih izazova po medijski pluralizam i sve učestalijih napada i pritisaka na nezavisne novinare – naročito nakon masovnih protesta širom zemlje posle tragedije u Novom Sadu 1. novembra 2024. godine – kako je istaknuto u nedavno objavljenom Izveštaju o slobodi medija u Evropi za 2025. godinu partnera Platforme Saveta Evrope, kao i u MFRR Monitoring izveštaju za 2025. godinu, misija će proceniti trenutno stanje slobode medija i bezbednosti novinara u zemlji. Poseta predstavlja nastavak misije solidarnosti organizacija za slobodu medija iz aprila 2025. godine, tokom koje su razmatrane moguće mere za unapređenje bezbednosti novinara. Delegacija ima za cilj da se sastane sa novinarima, javnim zvaničnicima, kao i predstavnicima civilnog društva, međunarodnih organizacija i stranih predstavništava u Beogradu. Ključne teme na dnevnom redu uključuju nasilje nad novinarima tokom protesta, SLAPP tužbe, nekažnjivost za ubistva novinara, zarobljavanje medija, nezavisnost regulatora i javnih medijskih servisa, istrage o slučajevima špijunskog softvera, kao i digitalne pretnje novinarima. Partneri će podeliti svoje početne nalaze na konferenciji za novinare 27. marta 2026. godine u 14:00 časova, kod spomen-obeležja ubijenom novinaru Slavku Ćuruviji (Svetogorska 35, Beograd). Delegaciju će činiti predstavnici sledećih organizacija: ARTICLE 19 Evropa, Udruženje evropskih novinara (AEJ), Komitet za zaštitu novinara (CPJ), Evropska radiodifuzna unija, Evropski centar za slobodu štampe i medija (ECPMF), Evropska federacija novinara (EFJ), Indeks o cenzuri, Međunarodni institut za štampu (IPI), Opservatorija za Balkan, Kavkaz i Transevropu (OBCT) i Reporteri bez granica (RSF). READ MORE

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Against the backdrop of ongoing challenges to media pluralism and increasing attacks and pressure on independent journalists – particularly in the wake of nationwide protests following the Novi Sad tragedy on 1 November 2024 – as highlighted by the recently launched 2025 Europe Press Freedom report of the CoE Platform partners, and the 2025  MFRR Monitoring Report, the mission will assess the current media freedom and safety of journalists’ situation in the country. The visit follows-up on a solidarity mission of media freedom groups in April 2025 to discuss possible measures to improve the safety of journalists. The delegation aims to meet with journalists, public officials, as well as representatives of civil society, international organisations, and foreign representations in Belgrade. 

Key topics on the agenda include violence against journalists during protests, SLAPPs, impunity for the killing of journalists, media capture, the independence of the media regulator and public service media, investigations into spyware cases, and digital threats against journalists. 

The partners will share their initial findings at a press conference on 27 March 2026 at 14:00, at the memorial of murdered journalist Slavko Ćuruvija (Svetogorska 35, Belgrade). 

The delegation will include representatives from the following organisations: ARTICLE 19 Europe, Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), European Broadcasting Union, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ),  Index on Censorship, International Press Institute (IPI), Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 

Srbija: Misija za slobodu medija ispitaće dugotrajne izazove i zalagati se za reforme

U periodu od 26. do 27. marta 2026. godine, partnerske organizacije u okviru Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) i Platforme Saveta Evrope za zaštitu novinarstva i bezbednost novinara sprovešće misiju u Srbiji.

U kontekstu stalnih izazova po medijski pluralizam i sve učestalijih napada i pritisaka na nezavisne novinare – naročito nakon masovnih protesta širom zemlje posle tragedije u Novom Sadu 1. novembra 2024. godine – kako je istaknuto u nedavno objavljenom Izveštaju o slobodi medija u Evropi za 2025. godinu partnera Platforme Saveta Evrope, kao i u MFRR Monitoring izveštaju za 2025. godinu, misija će proceniti trenutno stanje slobode medija i bezbednosti novinara u zemlji. Poseta predstavlja nastavak misije solidarnosti organizacija za slobodu medija iz aprila 2025. godine, tokom koje su razmatrane moguće mere za unapređenje bezbednosti novinara. Delegacija ima za cilj da se sastane sa novinarima, javnim zvaničnicima, kao i predstavnicima civilnog društva, međunarodnih organizacija i stranih predstavništava u Beogradu.

Ključne teme na dnevnom redu uključuju nasilje nad novinarima tokom protesta, SLAPP tužbe, nekažnjivost za ubistva novinara, zarobljavanje medija, nezavisnost regulatora i javnih medijskih servisa, istrage o slučajevima špijunskog softvera, kao i digitalne pretnje novinarima.

Partneri će podeliti svoje početne nalaze na konferenciji za novinare 27. marta 2026. godine u 14:00 časova, kod spomen-obeležja ubijenom novinaru Slavku Ćuruviji (Svetogorska 35, Beograd).

Delegaciju će činiti predstavnici sledećih organizacija: ARTICLE 19 Evropa, Udruženje evropskih novinara (AEJ), Komitet za zaštitu novinara (CPJ), Evropska radiodifuzna unija, Evropski centar za slobodu štampe i medija (ECPMF), Evropska federacija novinara (EFJ), Indeks o cenzuri, Međunarodni institut za štampu (IPI), Opservatorija za Balkan, Kavkaz i Transevropu (OBCT) i Reporteri bez granica (RSF).

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Global Free Speech

The BBC clearly sees the value of television series That Mitchell and Webb Look. Marking the 20th anniversary of its original screening, the Beeb has re-released the series on iPlayer. But – and there is very often a “but” with these things – they’ve removed around 11 sketches from the BAFTA award-winning show. The official word is that these sketches don’t “work today”, which is polite speak for “they may cause offence”. The episodes singled out include scenes featuring a battle reenactment with characters in blackface, a contestant on a show wearing a burka and a lost tribe” in a garden centre. These sketches set out to challenge stereotypes, not to reinforce them; but 20 years on, this distinction seems to have been lost along the way. I’m a bit uncomfortable about this. I find it infantilising, to say the least. Can’t we trust audiences to make up their own minds, to switch off if they find the sketches in question unpalatable? Does the BBC think that we are just passive consumers, unable to disaggregate the mocking of racism from racism itself? These sketches set out to challenge stereotypes, not to reinforce them This act of censorship is distorting – of the shows, whose narratives and rhythms were built to include these sketches, and more broadly too. Conversations we were having 20 years ago have been erased, as if to suggest that they never happened. But they did! And with this erasure, the opportunity for thoughtful engagement and learning from our past is gone. “Let’s just pretend we were all lovely 20 years ago. It’s better that way” seems to be the message. Speaking as a minority myself, I find that knowing the nasty stuff that people said before – and indeed, still say today – is much more useful than pretending it never happened. This approach, I think, is also inconsistent. What it reveals is a cherry-picking (intended or not) of the groups that we can mock, and those that we can’t. Let’s face it, gender stereotypes are rarely deemed to have aged beyond the pale – if that were the case, we would have to wave goodbye to half the television made before the mid-2010s. Suppression like this sends a bad message to artists, namely that what they’re creating today may hold less value tomorrow. Or, even worse, that future audiences may deem them bigots – that Sword of Damocles hovering over the heads of any creative paying attention to the discourse of the moment. Suppression like this sends a bad message to artists The BBC’s decision reaffirms a broader trend. In 2020, Little Britain was removed from the iPlayer platform for similar reasons. It has since been reinstated – minus some sketches. Meanwhile, the UK’s arts space more broadly is seeing a retreat to the land of “safe”, as Index recently revealed in a year-long investigation into self-censorship in UK theatre. The BBC, it must be said, does remarkable stuff. The ongoing podcast investigation into the disappearance of US journalist Austin Tice is just one example. But this does not mean, however, that they don’t sometimes get it wrong. Chopping at That Mitchell and Webb Look is one example. Sure, the removal of the material isn’t the life-or-death story that Index often works on. Sure, Mitchell and Webb aren’t the faces of persecuted artists – they have huge platforms and agreed to the changes themselves. Still, one can’t help but think that the decision came from a place of conservatism, perhaps even fear. This is weak and dispiriting, indeed the very opposite of what enables creativity in the arts. We shouldn’t be encouraging this cultural timidity. Rather, we should harness culture and creativity as the starting points of a conversation about our here and now. That’s what the arts are for, after all. READ MORE

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