Regional Conference in Belgrade “Journalism Under Attack: An Age of Repression and Resistance“

Representatives from the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) actively participated in the regional conference “Journalism Under Attack: A Time of Unfreedom and Professional Resilience,” held in Belgrade from September 29 to October 1.

The conference brought together journalists, legal experts, and civil society representatives from the Western Balkans region to discuss the major challenges facing the media community.

As part of the program, Verche Todorovska Kostovska participated in the panel discussion on the safety of women journalists in the Western Balkans, where she presented the findings from the report “Indicators on the Level of Media Freedom and the Journalists’ Safety Index 2024.”

At the panel “Safety of Women Journalists in the Western Balkans – Between Gender-Based Violence and Professional Pressures,” Lepa Djundjeva, journalist and AJM member, shared her personal experiences with threats and violence, alongside several other women journalists from the region. Additionally, Biljana Arsovska from the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje took part in the panel dedicated to the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity for attacks against them.

Particular attention was drawn to the panel discussion on SLAPP lawsuits, moderated by Dragan Sekulovski, Executive Director of AJM. This session highlighted the challenges and consequences of the misuse of lawsuits as a tool for pressure and intimidation against journalists.

The conference, which gathered around one hundred representatives from journalists’ associations, trade unions, and other institutions, also featured the presentation of the Declaration on Improving the Safety of Women Journalists in the Western Balkans – A Commitment to Gender Equality, Media Freedom, and Democratic Accountability.

This activity was organized by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), AJM’s partner organization, within the framework of the Safe Journalists Platform.