By Ivana Jelača, MDI Western Balkans Executive Director
It’s been 10 years since the launch of the Media Diversity Institute’s Western Balkan office and the dream of no longer being needed is still a long way from being realised. Promoting diversity in the media and tackling hate speech remain challenging and vital work.
When the office opened in Belgrade in 2014, the priority was to work with traditional media in countries including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. That soon expanded to encompass social media.
With a mission and core value of freedom of expression and representation of social diversity in the media, MDI Western Balkans has been highlighting the impact on the representation of diversity and hate speech on the media and society.
Although a post-socialist transition has redefined the role of the media from state propaganda tools to instruments of democracy, the Western Balkans has faced numerous challenges in fostering free, independent, and professional media ecosystems.
“I tend to say: ‘We did get capitalism but not the democracy yet’. There is still a lot to do to ensure pluralism and diversity in the local media,” says Ivana Jelača, Executive Director of Media Diversity Institute Western Balkans.
Youth as agents of change
Jelača says the team focuses on young people as agents of change. The proportion of youth in the Western Balkans varies by country, but it is generally significant. While youth make up a substantial part of the population in the Western Balkans, the proportion is gradually decreasing due to migration and demographic shifts. Kosovo stands out as an exception, with a relatively high proportion of young people.
As a result, MDI Western Balkan’s work centres on social media and communication, with the aim of raising awareness through social media. At one stage, efforts included working extensively with schools.
One initiative, the MLADI project (Media Literacy Alliance and Digital Importance), aimed to empower young people in Serbia to become engaged, well-informed and responsible democratic citizens through increasing their media and digital literacy.
“Some of the people who went through the first MLADI project are now part of the Belgrade office, and we are all proud of the work we do,” says Project Assistant, Aleksandar Đokić.
Project Manager Ivana Jovanović is one such member of the Belgrade team. She says MDI provided her with an opportunity to explore and learn about hate speech. “I frequently noticed hate graffiti around the city (Belgrade), which led me to reflect on their role in shaping our perceptions of the world and the “Other”. These graffiti, often filled with derogatory messages, seemed to normalise hostility and hate in public spaces.”
She adds: “MDI was the first place where I began to explore the complexities of hate speech, freedom of expression, and ways in which hate speech can escalate into hate crimes.”
Media literacy for democracy
Media literacy in the Western Balkans, like elsewhere, is essential to countering the spread of hate speech, disinformation, and propaganda, which are prevalent due to political polarisation, historical tensions, and external influences.
The ability to access, analyse, evaluate, and create media content critically and responsibly is still a big issue in the region. Serbia is one of the best and Albania, for example, has the worst track record.
The challenges
“Working in the media sphere in the region, especially on sensitive topics as MDI Western Balkans does, is not an easy task. This milestone (anniversary) highlights our commitment to building a media landscape that truly reflects the richness of our diverse societies in the Balkans, together with experts and journalists from the region,” says Anja Anđušić, Media monitor with MDI Western Balkans.
As well as teaching new skills, the team’s work involves advocating to achieve long term changes.
Jelača says it’s crucial their work continues, as hate speech is on the rise in the region and elsewhere. Among key challenges is the effectiveness of the legal system in tackling it. Most countries have a legal framework regarding hate speech, but implementation is poor. The pressure on civil society organisations is also increasing. Jelača points to the recent law in Georgia against ‘foreign agents’ which she sees as a big threat to organisations like MDI Western Balkans.
Recognition
The Reporting Diversity Network (RDN), and its new version called “Reporting Diversity Network 2.0“, was established to effectively influence media representation of ethnicity, religion and gender in the Western Balkans. The initiative was recently selected among the three finalists for the World Forum for Democracy Democracy Innovation Award.
“The positive feedback that RDN has received through this award is a valuable recognition of our efforts and our team in the Western Balkans office,” says Jelača.
Lazar Simić, the MDI Western Balkans social media campaigner, believes the team’s ability to work well together is one of the reasons for its success. “I constantly tell everyone around me how we have an incredible team. Although I would be the first to say it’s cringe when someone talks about their colleagues as friends, I truly feel that we all are. We know how to work together, spend time together, travel, grieve, protest, empower each other, and listen. That’s priceless.”
The future
Đokić says the anniversary provides an opportunity for the team to reflect on its achievements. “The 10th anniversary of MDI Western Balkans is a testament to its resilience and the relevance of its mission. It’s a celebration of a decade of impactful work, collaboration, and progress. For me, it signifies pride in being part of an organisation that continuously strives to create a fairer and more inclusive media environment, as well as hope for an even stronger future. It’s a moment to celebrate our achievements and reaffirm our commitment to the road ahead.”
That road ahead will continue to face challenges. Although Jelača says her hope is that one day their work will no longer be needed, she can’t imagine it happening anytime soon. “More realistically, I hope that the challenges will actually decrease rather than increase.”
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Media Diversity Institute. Any question or comment should be addressed to [email protected]
