On 11 April 2016, Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) hosted a Panel Discussion on the topic: ‘What was the Serbian media reporting approach over Kosovo during the dialogue process?’ held at EU Information and Cultural Centre. The manner in which the Serbian media covered the issue of Kosovo and how their attitude changed as the dialogue progressed were among main issues that were discussed during the event. Changes indicate that the dialogue influenced either the policy of the Serbian news outlets towards Kosovo or their perception of the expectations of the audience. A special focus by the panelists was given to the attitude of Serbian media towards the main political representatives in Kosovo. At the beginning of the Discussion, GLPS presented a Policy Analysis entitled: ‘The Serbian Media and the Dialogue: Has there been an evolution in how the Serbian media perceive Kosovo’ This Analysis reflects upon the impact that the Brussels dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia had on the Serbian media coverage of Kosovo. Among other issues, the panelists discussed the attitude of the Serbian media before and in the early stages of dialogue by examining the topics addressed in articles and the manner in which the main news outlets reported on the main Kosovo political figures and the dialogue.  Furthermore, panelists agreed that, contrary to the media in Kosovo, the Serbian media is being censored when reporting for Kosovo and its developments. Lastly, panelists noted that media in Serbia have paid special attention to the Brussels dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and have been far more active in providing information to their citizens compared to Kosovo. To access the report, please click here.

Panelists in attendance:

Mr. Belul Beqaj – Professor and expert for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue;

Mr.Budimir Nicic – Media Centre Cagllavica;

Mr.Gazmend Syla– Editor in-Chief, Klan Kosova;

Ms. Ana-Maria Enache – Presenter of the Analysis, GLPS;

Venue: EU Information and Cultural Centre – (“Mother Theresa” Square, Prishtina)