As reported in the last update for Serbia on the CIVICUS Monitor, given the concerning situation with media freedoms, Serbian media outlets and CSOs blacked out their websites or went off the air in protest on 28th September 2017 to decry the assault on media freedom. Rallying under the hashtags #StopMedijskomMraku, #ZaSloboduMedija and #StojimUzVranjske, the groups were prompted to take action after the news portal Vranjske announced the cessation of their activities due to mounting political and economic demands from authorities. Similarly, in light of the growing momentum among civil society groups regarding freedom of expression, on 20th November 2017 the coalition of civil society organisations behind the media blackout issued a call “For Media Freedom” listing 13 demands in a letter to Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. Finally, while the drafting process for the new media strategy is still in progress, a public debate is expected in December 2017 to discuss the plans. More information is available here.
Source: CIVICUS Monitor