The Balkan region is facing significant challenges in regulating digital space, particularly regarding the dissemination of information in online media.

At a discussion held in Pristina, panelists from the region debated the findings of a regional report by Partners Serbia and the South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM), which highlights legal gaps and the problems countries in the region face in regulating online content.

The rise of fake news, consistently identified among online audiences, has increased the demand for media regulation —a move that could potentially threaten freedom of expression.

Ana Toskić from the organization “Partners Serbia” emphasized that the media market in the Western Balkans is small and largely ignored by global platforms that manage online audiences.

“For us as NGOs working in the field of digital rights, our focus is on privacy, and we believe there is a lot of work to be done, especially in aligning regulations with European ones and preparing the infrastructure to address these cases,” said Toskić.

The published study identifies that problems in legislation regulating the online audience exist throughout the Balkans.

Anida Sokol, a researcher and editor at the Media Center Sarajevo, noted that the research revealed a lack of legal frameworks for digital platforms in the Western Balkans.

“Online media generally operate outside of self-regulatory frameworks. We have seen some changes in legislation for online media, but oversight is still lacking,” she said.

Sokol added that only a few Balkan countries have implemented the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD).

The study also finds that social media is essential for the distribution of journalistic content, while content censorship mechanisms in some cases have reduced media audiences.

The report notes that due to content filters, some media outlets have struggled to gain traction on specific topics, and language barriers with Google have prevented Balkan media outlets from benefiting from Google Ads or generating revenue from Meta and TikTok.

Gentiana Paçarizi, one of the researchers on the Kosovo section of the report, stated that the media situation in the country is deteriorating.

“To provide some context on where we stand, it’s worth mentioning that we are ranked 99th on the Reporters Without Borders Index, which reflects the political influence on media and financial difficulties,” said Paçarizi.

She noted that the contamination of information has led to a decline in trust in news shared on social networks.

“77% of respondents do not trust news from social media,” said Paçarizi.

She also presented some recommendations for improving the media environment, including the adoption of a new law on the Independent Media Commission (IMC), in line with the Constitutional Court’s guidelines and EU standards.

Dorentina Kastrati, another researcher on the report, mentioned the need for reform in other national laws to ensure the integrity of information.

According to Kastrati, Kosovo needs to reform the Law on RTK (public broadcaster), the Law on Defamation and Insult, and especially the Law on the IMC.

In other panels discussing challenges for online media in Kosovo, panelists highlighted serious issues, including the lack of a national domain for Kosovo, the absence of monetization mechanisms for online media, and the censorship mechanisms employed by social media platforms against news outlets.

Ardita Zejnullahu from AMPEK emphasized the lack of discussion during legislative attempts to regulate the legal basis for online operations and added that the media face challenges due to Kosovo's non-recognition by international platforms.

The research findings were presented in Pristina, while the final report is expected to be published in the coming weeks.

 

Link to the original text: https://kallxo.com/lajm/rajoni-i-ballkanit-me-sfida-ne-legjislacionin-e-mediave-online/

 

Kreshnik Gashi, journalist