Sarajevo, 1 May 2026 – Bosnia and Herzegovina continues its negative trend and remains among the lowest-ranked countries in Europe. According to the latest 2026 report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Bosnia and Herzegovina has fallen to 90th place, marking its lowest position in the past 25 years.

Although the country had already been declining in previous years (from 64th place in 2023 to 81st in 2024 and 86th in 2025), the latest data confirm a continued deterioration of media freedom.

According to RSF’s analysis, the key challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina include strong political pressure on the media, weak economic sustainability of newsrooms, and increasingly frequent threats and attacks against journalists. In addition, the situation varies within the country, with certain areas—particularly in Republika Srpska—facing more restrictive legislation, including the reintroduction of criminal defamation and growing political influence over editorial policies.

In the regional context, Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks among the worst-performing countries in Europe, confirming a broader trend of declining media freedom across the Western Balkans.

This year’s RSF analysis highlights an alarming deterioration of conditions for journalism in many parts of the world, despite some isolated improvements, with 100 out of 180 countries and territories recording a decline in their media freedom scores. More than half of the world’s countries are classified as having a “difficult” or “very serious” situation for journalism.

The 2026 RSF report sends a clear message: the media environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina is characterized by political pressure, economic insecurity, and insufficient institutional protection of journalists, all of which directly affect the quality and independence of journalism. The Reporters Without Borders report is available at the following link.