Report on the Needs of Media User in Serbia Presented

Representatives of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media and the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade today presented the findings of the comprehensive Report on the Needs of Media Users in Serbia, which offers the first major, evidence-based insight into how citizens in Serbia consume media, what content they expect and how they perceive the quality, reliability and diversity of media services.

The conference was opened by the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Janos Babity, and the Assistant Director for Legal Affairs, Sasha Simovic. In his opening remarks, Babity stressed that the survey was conducted for the needs of the Regulator, but that its significance and utility are much broader and indicate that modern media regulation must be based on the needs and expectations of citizens.

Babity pointed out that evidence-based policymaking is not just good practice - it is necessary for building public trust in institutions and the media environment as a whole. In this regard, he referred to the fact that independent regulators face complex challenges, and that support for improving their capacities, professionalism, and evidence-based action is therefore essential. 

Assistant Director for Legal Affairs Saša Simović emphasized that today's conference represents an important step towards further strengthening a regulatory approach based on facts, data and the real needs of citizens. He said that the report is evidence of over a decade of successful partnership with the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, which, within the framework of the Horizontal Facility program, has implemented numerous activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Regulator and the professionalism of its employees.

Simović explained that the significance of the findings from the report is multiple, but that, above all, it provides a basis for fulfilling certain legal obligations – the development of Guidelines for the Development of Media Services, the improvement of the pluralism of media content, further actions of the Regulator in terms of monitoring content and activities to improve media literacy.

The report confirms that the media landscape of Serbia is undergoing a rapid digital transformation, but also deep-rooted generational and educational differences in the way of information. While television continues to reach the widest audience, younger citizens are increasingly relying on online media, social networks and video platforms as primary sources of information.

The conference and report are part of the activities implemented within the project “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Serbia (PROFREX)”, which is part of the joint program of the European Union and the Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023-2026.

More about the research in Serbian at this link

More about the research in English at this link