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The latest InterMedia survey shows that there is low newspaper readership among Bosnians. Many Bosnians are newshounds who are very interested in staying informed about current events. Bosnians are not only news consumers; they also appear willing to contribute to the news process as "citizen journalists." The radio market is crowded with many small regional and local stations owned privately and by local governments. These radio outlets provide programming for local Bosnians who tunes in during the peak morning and mid-afternoon hours. Time has not erased all ethnic divisions when it comes to views about politics in Bosnia and beyond-even for young Bosnians. Views on domestic reforms, the European Union, NATO membership and other key issues underscore a lack of unity as the country continues to seek a lasting political model. With reform efforts facing new political obstacles, the public TV sector remains hostage to rivalries among the country's three main ethnic groups. As the bickering continues, private and foreign broadcasters are gaining wide acceptance in Bosnia, posing more challenges for their public counterparts Young adults have driven a doubling of the country's internet penetration in just 18 months, to 16 percent weekly users. Find out what makes a website popular for young Bosnians and what online activities they prefer.
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Regional Overview
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For more information on InterMedia's research in the Balkans region, contact: |
Economic hardships and political infighting in many southern Balkan countries leave local media vulnerable to political influence. Newspapers, radio stations and other outlets find it difficult to remain financially solvent and often resort to lifelines from political parties or local governments, which inevitably skews their coverage. Individual journalists are often subject to political or economic pressure from third parties despite laws that are supposed to protect journalists' independence. What's more, enforcement of media freedom laws is often lax. Meanwhile, governments in the region are moving toward reforms of their public broadcasting sectors, with a view toward improving quality and objectivity, but such efforts routinely bog down in ethnic and inter-party disputes.
Even so, Balkan media consumers still have access to a wide variety of news and information sources, both domestic and international. In Bosnia, for example, media users routinely view TV and radio channels broadcast from neighboring Croatia and Serbia. TV is by far the most commonly used information medium, well ahead of radio and print.TV broadcasters also are adopting increasingly sophisticated products and are adopting new technologies. Radio is increasingly perceived as an entertainment medium--mostly music with brief periodic news updates.
Internet use in the Balkans is growing quickly, with the highest levels of connectedness currently in Serbia and Montenegro (26% of the population in both log on weekly) and the lowest in Albania (13% weekly). Kosovo comes in at 17% and Bosnia and Macedonia are each at 16%. The number of internet service providers is expanding, which will help to reduce prices for high-speed packages and increase the number of broadband subscribers from small percentages now. In a recent InterMedia-sponsored focus group with regular web users in Belgrade, Serbia, participants said they often go online for email, following news and events and listening to music, and most also use the internet for job-related tasks. But purchasing things on the web is a rare event, as is playing online games. Serbian web surfers prefer news and information websites that offer a balance between domestic, regional and local news, as well analytical reporting and a diversity of views on news events.
Though the region is now free of active military conflicts, underlying tensions (such as over Kosovo's political status) and economic difficulties weigh on people's outlooks for the future. This table (TBA from COMINGYR question compilation) shows the percentage of adults in different Balkan countries who view the coming 12 months with hope, worry or uncertainty. A big question mark for the future is each country's prospects for entry into the European Union, which would bring much-needed trade and other economic benefits as well as greatly expanded opportunities and travel and work abroad. Of all the countries that were formerly part of Yugoslavia, only Slovenia is an EU member. Croatia is holding accession talks, while Macedonia has been granted candidacy status but no data has been set to begin accession negotiations.