The ongoing crisis of freedom, quality, and legitimacy facing the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina deepened in 2025, as the environment for independent and free journalism further eroded due to systemic political pressures, financial instability, and declining public trust. Media outlets are widely perceived as politically captured, operating in an environment where professional journalists have been largely sidelined and continue to face severe constraints on their freedoms.

This continuation of the Future of Media study builds on previous findings through analysis of qualitative data collected through focus groups with citizens, media professionals, and citizens with high social and cultural capital and influence. Participants in this study described a media system that fails to inform the public effectively, ensure accountability, or offer a space for deliberation—thus failing to uphold the fundamental roles of media in a democratic society.

The findings point to a fragmented environment, shaped by both global trends and domestic particularities. The media landscape reflects global phenomena such as digital disruption, algorithmic segmentation, and the erosion of shared information spaces. At the same time, it is further fractured by political, ethnic, and ideological polarization of the media in BiH, as well as by divergent policies
across the country’s complex administrative structure.

Journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina face increasing attacks and pressures, now increasingly reflected in the policy environment, particularly in Republika Srpska, where intensified efforts to introduce a “foreign agents law” signal further democratic regression following the re-criminalization of defamation.
Media professionals’ reflections on trends from previous research largely affirmed the earlier findings, emphasizing the growing financial strain caused by the withdrawal or reduction of major international donor funding, as well as the resulting closure and downsizing of affiliated newsrooms.

Citizens who participated in the study described information fatigue, confusion, news avoidance, and distrust as aspects of their relationship with the media. Discussions pointed to a narrowing generational gap in media consumption, with both younger and older audiences now relying primarily on digitally native media as their main sources of information. Some participants expressed greater trust in individual personalities than in institutions when it comes to shaping public debates.

The future of media in Bosnia and Herzegovina was described as dependent on successfully navigating key challenges: securing alternative revenue streams, overcoming media distribution challenges to reach audiences, and protecting media freedoms while regulating an orderly market. While some participating media professionals expressed concerns about regulatory solutions and distrust in the legislative process, the majority agreed that the
regulation of areas such as media ownership transparency remains necessary. Technological adaptation, though seldom discussed, continues to pose a persistent challenge, with BiH consistently lagging behind new trends.

Based on discussions with citizens, media professionals, and citizens with high cultural and social capital and influence, the report concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening the future of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The regional program “Our Media: A civil society action to generate media literacy and activism, counter polarisation and promote dialogue” is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by partner organizations SEENPM, Albanian Media Institute, Mediacentar Sarajevo, Press Council of Kosovo, Montenegrin Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute and Bianet.

This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of SEENPM and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.