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The freedom of expression and media freedom are fundamental principles of democracy, but recent media reports often emphasize the online threats that journalists receive on forums and portals, which include death threats. In addition to the evident safety issues, the political structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and increasing financial pressures make the situation more difficult for journalists working in the country. This has all led to a major problem for journalism in BiH – censorship and self-censorship.
When it comes to establishing role models, schools are losing the battle with the media. Young athlete Emir Bekrić became the main topic of conversation when he won gold at the European Youth Championship in Tampere for the 400-meter hurdle, breaking the national record with a time of 48.76 seconds. Because of his young age, he is a relevant role model for this country’s youth, so we asked him who his own role models were growing up, and if he believes today's system of values are distorted.
“The greatest challenge that journalists face is the persistence of doing and publishing a story regardless of possible consequences,” says Amarildo Gutić – a journalist working for the online magazine Žurnal. He reminds that journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina are faced with a number of problems and challenges as part of their work, such as political and financial pressures.
Dutch media coverage of the Bosnian War partly explains why Dutch politicians and the general public are conflicted about the role played by Dutchbats during the war.
the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) in Sarajevo has published an official research report on the state of media freedom in 17 local BiH communities that reveals the real-life, everyday struggles that journalist and reporters face in their efforts to produce unbiased, objective, and relevant content.