Regional Trends in the Western Balkans

Governments or those in power can control or intimidate media in many ways: direct or indirect ownership; controlling regulators who hand out media licences; ownership by allies; allocating grants or official advertising spend on which many media depend for survival; or just plain intimidating journalists.
The Media Ownership Monitor’s research has found that many Western Balkans governments still wield influence over the media, even though constitutions or other laws prohibit this.

Concentration of media ownership and, eventually, control over public opinion, is best avoided in an ideal world. However, enforcing too strict ownership limits can have unintended consequences in fragile markets. It could render media not commercially viable, and this opens the way for oligarchs to step in as the last funder standing. The Media Ownership Monitor illustrates many examples, where powerful business people subsidise loss-making media to further their own business or political interests.

Media regulation in the Western Balkans works well in parts, Media Ownership Monitor research found, but in other areas, goals written on paper are failing to be met, amid complaints of political interference and inefficiency.

The media landscape of the region also raises a particular question: how can national bodies effectively regulate – to ensure competition, variety, transparency and decency – when the market in some respects ignores frontiers?