AJM Report: Online Attacks, Economic Insecurity and Impunity Remain Threats to Journalists

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) presented its Annual Report, “Indicators on the Level of Media Freedom and the Journalists’ Safety Index 2025,” which provides a comprehensive overview of media freedoms, professional independence, and the safety of journalists and media workers in North Macedonia.

The report shows that certain positive developments were recorded in 2025, including the establishment of a register of online media outlets and the appointment of new members to the councils of the media regulator and the Macedonian Radio Television (MRT). However, substantive reforms and the full harmonization of national legislation with European Union regulations, including the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), have yet to be completed.

The practical implementation of legal safeguards remains inconsistent, while the independence and effectiveness of certain institutions continue to be the subject of public debate.

A special section of the report is dedicated to the Journalists’ Safety Index, which assesses working conditions through four key dimensions: the legal and organizational environment, prevention, institutional procedures, and actual safety.

The findings indicate an improved institutional response in some cases involving physical attacks. However, serious challenges remain, including online threats, hate speech, public discrediting, economic insecurity, and insufficiently effective efforts to combat impunity.

The increase in online harassment and sexist attacks targeting women journalists is particularly concerning, indicating that the digital space is becoming an increasingly risky environment for professional journalism.

The report also notes that the economic vulnerability of media outlets remains one of the key challenges. The low socio-economic status of journalists, particularly those working in private and local media, insufficient job security, and risks associated with the reintroduction of state advertising may negatively affect media pluralism, editorial independence, and transparency in the allocation of public funds.

The Annual Report was prepared within the framework of the regional SafeJournalists Network, which marks its tenth anniversary this year. The network represents the largest regional initiative for monitoring media freedom and the safety of journalists in the Western Balkans, with AJM participating alongside partner journalists’ associations from across the region.

Over the past decade, SafeJournalists has developed a unique and standardized research methodology that enables the collection of comparable, relevant, and reliable data across the countries of the region. The findings and data from AJM’s reports are also used as reference sources in international reports on the state of media freedom and human rights, including documents published by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of State.

The report represents an important tool for evidence-based policymaking and for monitoring reforms in the media sector. Combating impunity for attacks against journalists, aligning domestic legislation with European standards, and improving the professional and economic working conditions of journalists remain key prerequisites for free, safe, and independent journalism in North Macedonia.

The report is available in Macedonian, Albanian, and English and can be accessed on the AJM website.