On 4 October 2026, Bosnia and Herzegovina will hold the general elections for the state, entity and cantonal levels of government. Media freedom is one of the pillars of democracy and it is essential to allow voters to form their opinion and decide who to vote for at the elections. This report aims to provide an overview of media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina and efforts to reform the media sector and bringing it into line with the EU standards.

 

The media landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina is rather discouraging. Despite the country having obtained the status of candidate for EU membership in 2022, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been characterised not only by stagnation, but also by regressive trends for what concerns democratic standards and media freedom. While these are not new trends, 2023 was a pivotal moment. The authorities of Republika Srpska (RS) reintroduced the crime of defamation and announced their intention to adopt a law on “foreign agents” (eventually adopted in 2025). International criticism and public advocacy efforts failed to dissuade the RS authorities from criminalising defamation and introducing more restrictive legislation. The gravity of the situation prompted the Media Freedom Rapid Response to conduct an urgent mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the announced legislation and assess its possible consequences. The findings of the mission depicted a very difficult situation for media freedom and journalists not only in Republika Srpska, but also in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

This report, three years later, aims to take stock of the impact of those laws in Republika Srpska and to provide an overview of the current situation of media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including challenges faced by journalists. As the country prepares for elections, legislative bodies have adopted their usual pre-election modus operandi, so no substantial changes to the existing framework are expected, only legislative initiatives taken primarily to consolidate positions in view of the electoral race.

 

In preparing this report, the authors, in addition to reviewing the existing literature, conducted numerous interviews with journalists, judiciary authorities, representatives of the media regulator, representatives of the international community, legal experts, members of civil society, and other stakeholders. A field mission took place in Sarajevo between March 16 and March 18 and another in Banja Luka between May 11 and 12. Additionally, an online focus group was organised on 8 April 2026, with journalists from across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

Full report is available here.