Independent journalism is the backbone of every functioning democracy. Yet for the countries of the Western Balkan, the free spaces for reporting have been shrinking. Journalists often find themselves in a hostile atmosphere, often labelled by as traitors of the nation or as foreign agents. Resilient independent media is a precondition for the rising threats of disinformation and fake news.

How do we tackle the current deficiencies of the media system and public sphere in the region? What concrete measures improve resilience of independent journalists?  

Daniela Apaydin, research associate at the IDM, spoke with Hana Ćopić from the cross-border journalism network n-ost, about her experiences with capacity building in the Western Balkans. 

Our guest recommandation:

Local Journalism and European Perspectives's publications in English and in Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian.

References mentioned in the program:

N-ost Cross-Boarder Playbook

CEE - Central Europe Explained is a podcast series produced by the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, powered by Erste Group.   

Guest: Hana Ćopić, Project Manager for “Local Journalism – European Perspectives”  a project co-organized by BIRN (Balkan Investigative Reporting Network) and n-ost

Host: Daniela Apaydin, Research Associate at IDM

Production and editing: Emma Hontebeyrie, Research Associate at IDM


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