Media Freedom in North Macedonia: fragile progress

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2 November 2023

Credits: Ricardo Gutiérrez via X

On 30 October 2023, the final report of the fact-finding mission that took place between 5 and 7 June was presented in Skopje. OBCT participated in the mission alongside other MFRR partners

The mission, aimed at assessing the state of media freedom in the country, was organised by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia . In addition to OBCT, four other partners of the European Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium were present: the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), International Press Institute (IPI), and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).

During the three day-mission in Skopje, the delegation met with several political representatives with whom they discussed the major issues related to the media sector.

The main findings and recommendations stemming from the mission are summarised in the final report 'Media freedom in North Macedonia: fragile progress', presented on 30 October in Skopje during an event organised by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia on the occasion of the International Week of Media Literacy.

In the report, the MFRR partners recognise that North Macedonia has made significant progress in the protection of press and media freedom in recent years; however, the coalition warns that this progress remains rather fragile and that much remains to be done to create a safe and enabling environment for independent journalism. The report covers different topics, such as the safety of journalists - including their continued exposure to hate speech and discredit -, the growing threat of libel lawsuits and the economic conditions of journalists and media workers.

The final report in English is available here.