Monthly Highlights February: sensationalistic reporting, ethnic hate, attacks on journalists and sexual exploitation alongside media manipulation and targeting of CSOs

During February, the RDN monitoring team detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse fuelled by sensationalistic reporting, ethnic hate, sexual exploitation and violence against journalists alongside media manipulation and targeting of CSOs.

Sensational reporting in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo targeting victims of gender-based violence

In the month of February, a woman and her son were killed in Kalesija, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The suspect is the husband and father of the child. The media reported about this sensationally, especially Raport.ba and Avaz.ba. Reports even misinformed the public by reporting in one article that the mother of the killed woman entered the apartment with the police and found the bodies of the murdered woman and her son. On the other hand, another article reported that the mother had reported to the police that her daughter was not answering her phone.

Avaz.ba took statements from neighbours, publishing “the first footage from the scene of the crime” and stating that “a monster killed a woman and her minor son with his bare hands”. This type of reporting not only undermines the dignity of the victims but also risks inspiring violent behaviour in others.

The websites Raport.ba and Avaz.ba once again set a troubling precedent with their sensationalist and unprofessional coverage of the femicide case in Kalesija. Both outlets prioritised unofficial and irrelevant details that were not in the public interest, disregarding journalism standards. This type of reporting is not only irresponsible but also problematic, as it fails to uphold ethical journalistic practices.

In Kosovo, a citizen by the name  Valmire Sylejmani posted several photos on her Facebook profile of a woman who was begging and had large bruises on her face. The photo showed indication of physical abuse and harm. In her post, she wrote, among other things: 

“The woman in my post is named Adile, and she is from Gjilan/Gnjilane. She has mental health issues, as does her mother. This woman is sexually exploited, forced to beg for others, and when she fails to bring in enough money, she is brutally abused, as can be seen in the photograph.” 

The post was shared over 270 times, drawing the attention of the media outlet Gazeta Sinjali, which published both Valmire’s post and a photo of the physically abused woman.

Following the publication of the post, the prosecution launched an investigation. Initial reports suggested that the woman, who lives with her mother (who also has mental health issues), was kidnapped. The individual who forced her to live with him, along with several family members, allegedly subjected her to physical abuse and is suspected of sexually exploiting her. She was also forced to beg in multiple cities.

The perpetrator has since been arrested, while the victim, after receiving medical care, has been released for home treatment.

In this case, the media acted irresponsibly by circulating her photos online, violating her privacy. Sharing images of a victim in this manner serves only to sensationalise the case rather than prioritising justice and ensuring those responsible are held accountable under the law.

Ethnic hate and violence in Albania

At the beginning of the month , two contestants from Big Brother VIP Albania, Jozi and G Bani, were expelled from the show after receiving Black Envelopes for violating the program’s rules. Jozi was removed for making ethnic-based hate speech against fellow contestant Gjest, calling him a “kopil shkine” and questioning his Albanian identity. His remarks quickly went viral online and sparked backlash across social media. Gjest’s family publicly defended him, and major Albanian media outlets covered the incident, reigniting discussions on ethnic-based hate speech in public discourse. Meanwhile, G Bani was expelled for physically attacking Gjest following an altercation in which Gjest reportedly sang a song mocking G Bani’s left eye condition. After his expulsion, G Bani expressed regret in an interview but stopped short of apologising for the attack, stating, “I regret it, but not because I did that thing to him. I regret it because I betrayed the trust of the production team, who believed in me to be part of this format. I know very well that the production does not tolerate anything like that.” His comments divided public opinion, with some defending his actions as an emotional reaction while others condemned them as an unacceptable justification for violence.

However, at the end of the month  the same two contestants – Jozi and G Bani – who were previously expelled have been readmitted to Big Brother VIP after a public vote. The program asked the audience whom they would like to bring back, and the audience decided to reinstate both contestants. Despite there being a significant discussion on social media about their misconduct, which initially pressured the program to expel them, the program nonetheless, later included them in the list of candidates for re-entry, and the audience ultimately forgave them by voting them back in. This case reveals how the program itself operates with little regard for its role in shaping audience awareness and responsibility. Rather than taking a firm stance against inappropriate behaviour, it prioritises entertainment and viewership over ethical considerations. Furthermore, in terms of the audience, it is evident that at times, hate speech and its consequences are often overlooked or normalised due to a lack of awareness and critical discussion.

Reality TV like Big Brother VIP which has a large viewership and audience should ensure that they do not display any forms of violence, intolerance or hate on their platform. Furthermore, should such incidents take place, it is their responsibility to hold those accountable and to take precautionary measures that such cases are not repeated.

Attacks on journalists in Montenegro

In Montenegro, while covering the hearing of criminal group members outside the prosecutor’s office, a photojournalist from the investigative outlet Libertass Press was attacked by one of the accused, Predrag Veljić. He threatened to smash the journalist’s camera over his head and shouted derogatory insults at him.

Savo Prelević is a photojournalist for the media outlet Libertas Press, which covers crime. In Montenegro, as well as in the Balkans, journalists are not well protected and are constantly exposed to attacks from the people they report on. Journalists face significant dangers when covering sensitive topics such as crime, corruption, human rights abuses, and political conflicts. They are often targeted with threats, harassment, physical attacks, and even legal persecution, especially when exposing powerful figures or criminal networks. Ensuring their protection requires both legal institutions and respect from all sides. In Montenegro, journalists are protected under the country’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press and expression. Furthermore, globally, the protection of journalists is reinforced through various international instruments. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights upholds freedoms of expression and press, specifically Article 19 which notes that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. No journalist should feel threatened whilst doing their job to inform the public mean whilst those who ignore such laws, should face the appropriate consequences.

Sexism and exploitation in North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, a case was brought to light involving a man who mistreated his wife throughout a nine-year marriage. During this time, it was discovered that the perpetrator abused his position and treated his wife in a particularly humiliating and cruel manner, taking complete control over her and her life. He inflicted physical and psychological harm and violence against her, continuously inflicting bodily harm on her and threatening her life alongside those of her family members. Furthermore, he began to force her into sexual exploitation through prostitution for financial gain and narcotics.

Very often in these cases, the media, by merely republishing prosecutorial statements without deeper analysis or context, reduce complex instances of prolonged abuse and coercion to sterile, bureaucratic reports. This approach obscures the systemic issues and power dynamics at play, failing to convey the full extent of the victim’s suffering and the broader societal factors that enable such violence. As a result, there is no public debate, leaving these critical issues unexamined and reinforcing a cycle of silence and inaction. The media have a role and obligation to convey information to the pubic in a transparent and detailed manner. Rather than republishing statements and information, they should seek out expert analysis, survivor testimonies, and background information to expose the deeper systemic issues behind such cases. Furthermore, the media should utilise their influence to initiate discussions on sexual abuse and coercion, shedding light on the societal factors that enable and perpetuate these issues.

Media manipulation and targeting of CSOs in Serbia

When the U.S. State Department suspended all foreign aid for at least three months in late January, Serbian tabloids seized the moment to further vilify civil society organisations (CSOs), portraying them as national enemies and foreign mercenaries. This narrative, often originating from high-ranking public officials, was amplified through pro-regime tabloid media. What these media outlets failed to mention was the substantial U.S. funding received by Serbian public institutions.

The tabloid portal Alo! falsely claimed that the Trag Foundation was “using drug money to fund student protests,” while CRTA and other organisations faced relentless attacks across multiple tabloid portals. CSOs were framed as “destroyers of Serbia” and accused of working against their own country. Individuals affiliated with these organisations were targeted in articles that revealed their full names and whereabouts. One text alleged that CSO members had gathered in Niš for “a briefing,” publishing full names from a hotel guest list. Another published a photograph of CSO representatives and opposition politicians taken at an airport, alongside a list of their names and the exact flight they were taking. Both texts, including several others have been removed from the portal of tabloid Informer where they were published.

The targeting culminated on February 25^th when armed members of the Criminal Police Directorate entered the offices of five CSOs. CRTA, one of the CSOs under investigation claims they read about this in tabloid headlines about 20 minutes before the police actually came to their office. Several days before this happened, pro-regime media and public officials, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, were announcing investigations of CSOs. In the TV show Hit tvit on Pink TV, Vučić said that we will see “how much crime there was in the non-governmental sector”. A day after the police came to the CSO offices, while they were still there, tabloid Srpski Telegraf announced on their front page “Arrests coming soon in Serbian NGOs.” Until now, no arrests have been made, and no further information has been released regarding the investigation into these five organisations. Against the backdrop of the months-long protests and the escalating repression of students, citizens, opposition politicians, and CSOs, these events appear to be yet another attempt at intensifying intimidation and political pressure against those critical of the government.