The Media Council for Self-Regulation, on the occasion of World Media Freedom Day, reminds the fact that media freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution, but it does notmean that it is guaranteed in practice. The Constitution of Montenegro obliges everyone in the country to respect media freedom, guarantee freedom of expression, prohibit censorship, but also the right of access to information held by state authorities. This should not be just a declarative formulation, these are the constitutional obligations of the state. Media freedom exists as long as the judiciary, institutions, political elites and the profession itself are ready or powerful to fulfill those obligations.
The Media Council for Self-Regulation strongly condemns the insults and threats directed at journalist Duško Kovačević after the publication of the author's text on a topic of public interest. We believe that such vocabulary and tone represent unacceptable pressure on journalists and an attempt of intimidation, which contradicts the basic principles of freedom of expression and professional communication in the public space.
The Media Council for Self-Regulation expresses serious concern regarding the final decision of the High Court for Misdemeanors in Bijelo Polje, which acquitted three adult defendants of responsibility for attacks and threats against journalists during reporting from Gornji Zaostro in August 2025.
The Media Council for Self-Regulation expresses serious concern about yesterday's summoning of the columnist Duško Kovačević to an informative interview with the police due to a published column and public criticism of state authorities, and warns that a pattern is increasingly being established in Montenegro in which the word of a journalist is viewed as a problem and not as the foundation of a democratic society.
