Berlin, 12 May 2026 – The German Journalists’ Association is calling on the Federal Government and the European Commission to work towards strengthening press freedom in Bosnia. The DJV is responding to the announced departure of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt.

Germany and Europe must not abandon Bosnian civil society, demands DJV Federal Chairman Mika Beuster: “Independent journalists are already fighting practically on their own,” said Beuster, citing the DJV’s European contacts. According to Reporters Without Borders, media professionals are frequently the target of threats and verbal attacks, and occasionally of physical assaults. In the Press Freedom Index, Bosnia-Herzegovina ranks only 90th.

Funding bodies such as the Americans have withdrawn from financing independent media projects; instead, propaganda channels emanating from dictatorships such as Russia are influencing the highly monopolised media market.

“Berlin and Brussels must provide the necessary funding to ensure that disinformation and propaganda do not gain the upper hand,” said Beuster.

Source: Deutscher Journalisten-Verband

Photo: Frank Sonnenberg, DJV