TROLL OF THE MONTH: Media outlet “Oslobođenje”

The Balkan Troll of the Month is an individual, a group of individuals or a media outlet that spreads hate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other diversity categories. The Balkan Troll is selected based on hate speech incidents identified across the Western Balkans region

In Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, another femicide took place. A femicide is defined by the European Institute for Gender Equality as

“The killing of a woman or girl because of her gender, and can take different forms, such as the murder of women as a result of intimate partner violence; the torture and misogynist slaying of women; killing of women and girls in the name of “Honor”; etc.”

Following the femicide, several of the country’s most widely read websites published extensive details of the case, totally disregarding ethical guidelines for reporting on gender-based violence. Among the most problematic reports was a text by Oslobođenje, which reported on the femicide in an unprofessional and insensitive manner. Oslobođenje is a popular media outlet in the Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the femicide that took place, their headline read, “What preceded the shooting,” focusing on sensational details rather than acknowledging the act as femicide. The article mentioned the shooting without explicitly stating it was a femicide, and quoted Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson Ljudevit Marić, who mentioned that the murder followed cocaine consumption, adding that the woman had shot herself in the stomach. The spokesperson revealed details of the suspect’s statement, claiming that “the deceased shot herself and that they had consumed cocaine.” This statement was presented in a manner that implies the victim was a drug addict who caused her own harm, thereby downplaying the severity of femicide and shifting the blame onto the victim.

Several other Bosnian websites, including Avaz.ba, N1info.ba, Srpskainfo.com, and Raport.ba, followed suit by reporting the same details about cocaine use, which aside from being a clear breach of ethical reporting standards, was also irrelevant information to the public interest. Marić made a significant error by disclosing investigative information. The Mostar police have been silent for days on certain inquiries, but in this case, the spokesperson readily shared details of the suspect’s statement, thereby also contributing to the normalization of femicide in public discourse.

Furthermore, the media further exacerbated the issue by sensationalizing it in their coverage. These reports also gave uncalled attention to the claim that “the woman shot herself,” an irresponsible detail that could even serve to imply justification for the violence.

Femicide is a serious crime and the most extreme form of gender-based violence. A year after the horrible incident of femicide took place where “38-year-old Nizama Hećimović was shot dead by her partner, who live-streamed the act on Instagram, those calling for the crime of femicide to be enshrined in law say women are still paying with their lives for the state’s inaction.” Indeed, the country fails to fully recognize the seriousness of this phenomenon, resulting in inadequate prevention and response measures. Institutions demonstrate a general lack of willingness to address the issue, marked by the absence of official data.

In this case, the overall reporting by media outlets including Oslobođenje was extremely harmful and problematic. The coverage failed to meet the basic standards of journalism including adherence to ethical guidelines, not to mention the lack of respect for the dignity of the victim. Media coverage should never offer explanations or context that might absolve the perpetrator by attributing violence to external factors or the individual’s characteristics. This is especially concerning given that this femicide and the unprofessional coverage occurred during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a period meant to raise awareness about such issues.