OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media meets with Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina
On 22 February, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met with Ambassador Siniša Bencun to discuss media freedom developments and challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During the meeting, Ribeiro and Bencun touched upon the issue of safety of journalists, the impact of a polarized media scene and scarce funding for the media sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also discussed the challenges surrounding the independence and sustainability of public service media and the national media regulatory body in the country. Ribeiro expressed her readiness to provide her Office’s assistance in improving the media situation in the country in line with international standards and relevant OSCE commitments.
Ribeiro underlined that, in order for the public service media to fulfil its important remit in society, it should remain public and not be converted into state media. In this regard, Ribeiro reiterated that governments have an important role in ensuring a vibrant media landscape that enables public service media to thrive and thus provide the public with quality, diverse and unbiased information.
They also discussed the challenges to combating hate speech as well as the growing prevalence of misinformation and disinformation, particularly in the online sphere – areas that require continuous awareness-raising initiatives.
Ribeiro and Bencun also discussed the regional South East Europe Media Conference, organized annually by the RFoM’s Office, and agreed to engage in further discussions about the 2021 event, including a possible visit of the RFoM to Bosnia and Herzegovina.