As Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) continues to suffer from political turmoil and corruption, journalists must stay committed to facts, objectivity, and integrity.
Media manipulation in BiH is a tried and true tactic that has been used to stir dangerous misinformation across the country. As BiH prepares for another election year and seems to consistently remain on the precipice of destabilization, journalists have perhaps one of the most important roles in distributing vital information to citizens. However, the problem is that trust in the media is at an all-time low in BiH. Citizens have several media outlets at their disposal, but only a handful of those that are trustworthy.
The State of Journalism in BiH
Štefica Galić, former editor of Tacno.net and an individual that saved thousands of lives during the Bosnian war, paints a not much nice picture of journalism and media in BiH.
“We saw how media was turned into a weapon during the war, and many journalists into dealers of hate. Unfortunately, today we are witnessing the same thing – hate speech, radicalism, fake news, and propaganda.”
In the book Narratives. Experiences from Southeast Europe and Beyond, a chapter written by Leila Bičakčić titled “The Role of Media in Shaping Images” demonstrates how media issues from three decades ago continue to plague BiH. In fact, even greater challenges now arise from legislative discrepancies between the country’s two entities. In Republika Srpska, the government has tried to consistently “suppress independent journalism” while the Federation struggles with “political interference and financial instability.” This directly leads to self-censorship, which, as Bičakčić explains, is the result of a media environment in which journalists fear potential repercussions, including violence. As such, their work is limited and their voices suppressed.
This has resulted in a proliferation of unreliable journalists and media sources. As Melani Isović, an activist and trained Balkan Diskurs correspondent from Banja Luka states, “It’s important for readers to know that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are 488 informative online portals of which only 40% are focused on transparency,” a statistic confirmed by a recent UNESCO report.
All of this also minimizes space for other important topics in the media, which impedes social progress. For instance, Isović has written extensively on matters that are either ignored or remain taboo.
“They are practically unspoken, which shows that our society is not prepared to accept inclusivity as a value. However, that doesn’t lessen the importance of raising such questions. On the contrary, every spoken story, every step forward, and every noted injustice moves the border of silence, and in that persistence lies the hope that society, however slowly, will change for the better,” she reflects.
The issue of media manipulation is exacerbated by recent developments in the information space whereby “anyone can be a journalist today.” In an era where exorbitant amounts of information are available at the touch of a finger, it’s difficult to discern what is true and who can be trusted. Furthermore, given that younger generations are more likely to access and engage with news digitally, journalists are struggling to get their stories to the forefront. Rather than read an article from an experienced and trusted journalist, many are quick to absorb unverifiable information they see on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. As Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, stated at the conference “Media and Civil Society: Critical Voices Under Pressure” in Sarajevo in September 2025, “We are confronted with social media that prioritizes the outrageous over the thoughtful.”
Isović further explains that “in an era of artificial intelligence and fake news, readers are in an unenviable position, especially considering the pervasive media illiteracy in the region and the fact that our people love and want to engage with and read conspiracy theories… and even disinformation to some extent because it entertains them.”
However, BiH citizens are no strangers to the fact that various sources of media are untrustworthy. Galić emphasizes that the public is not naive and that they are well-aware of misinformation within the media. However, even the most informed citizen can fall into the trap of a well-written article. It doesn’t always have to include lies or blatantly obvious bias – it can simply be a matter of selective information.
Recognizing Media Manipulation
These are all reasons why journalists must be held responsible for telling the whole truth, which enables them to maintain any trust they may gain among the region’s citizens.
“The source of information is key. If the source isn’t verifiable, if the story can’t be confirmed through many independent sources, we didn’t publish it. At times we abandoned investigations precisely because we couldn’t prove all the elements of the story,” Galić emphasizes.
Furthermore, readers must also practice personal responsibility with their media consumption for this to be successful. In this, Isović stresses mindful practices such as considering the backgrounds of news portals and journalists and evaluating how information is presented.
“Whether an article can be traced back to an author, and whether it seems like a political or party agenda is being pushed,” Isović added.
She also warns against following any journalists or media portals whose work appears to have a more gossipy or tabloid-like quality.
“These types of media outlets shouldn’t be given any credence because this directly affects the quality of public space and the credibility of information that we share,” Isović notes.
Going Forward
So long as Euro-Atlantic integration remains a priority for BiH, reforming the media environment is imperative. As emphasized in Bičakčić’s chapter, media freedom is vital in BiH’s progress towards the European Union. Fortunately, it is a priority that the EU has pledged to support, especially through its allocation of funds dedicated to strengthening civil society, media, human rights, and democracy in BiH.
Galić’s news portal operates on a simple ethical principle: independence. In practice, this means rejecting marketing deals and political pressure that could compromise coverage, funding the outlet through alternative revenue streams like projects and book sales, and verifying every piece of work multiple times before publishing.
Ultimately, the message from Galić and Isović to both journalists and media consumers is this: stay committed to facts and integrity.
“I have only one piece of advice for journalists: adhere to professional and ethical standards, resist pressures, and speak the truth even when it’s difficult. This is both a moral and professional duty — otherwise you should leave this profession”, Galić explained.
