By On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) issues the following
P R O C L A M A T I O N
On World Press Freedom Day, we remind that the status of media professionals in Montenegro still does not guarantee their safety, dignity, and professional autonomy. Although certain progress has been made, the essential struggle for free media continues.
During 2024, the media sector—like other sectors in the country—saw an increase in salaries due to the implementation of the “Europe Now 2” program. However, the earnings of media workers remain below the national average, closer to the minimum wage than to the average income—insufficient for a dignified life and unreflective of the role journalists play in preserving the democratic order.
Violence and pressure against journalists persist. In 2024, 24 incidents were recorded in the SafeJournalists database – a significant increase compared to the previous year, which had 16. At the Trade Union of Media, we are concerned not only by the numerical increase, but also by the nature of these attacks—such as the brutal physical assault on Ana Raičković. Encouragingly, this case has reached a judicial conclusion, continuing the trend of quicker resolutions in cases where media workers are victims. As in previous years, TUMM will continue to actively strengthen the culture of safety in the media sector—especially through risk assessment training and active participation in the development of a national response to security challenges.
Beyond physical and economic safety, it is equally important to improve the psychological wellbeing of media professionals. Through more than 170 individual sessions in our free psychological support service, along with numerous seminars, workshops, and publications dedicated to mental health, TUMM seeks to create space for emotional and mental well-being—because journalism cannot thrive without journalists who feel safe and supported.
Photo: OSCE Mission to Montenegro
Some colleagues, however, remain even more marginalized. As highlighted in the exhibition “Frame by Frame: Stories About Journalism”, which we organized, Montenegro has around 230 registered media outlets but only about 15 active photojournalists. Most of them work for daily newspapers or foreign agencies, while domestic portals barely engage them. This clearly shows the endangered state of news photography, increasingly replaced by lifeless illustrations and mobile phone images—just as fast and shallow news content pushes out segment by segment of true professional journalism.
Photo: SMCG,Boris Pejović
A positive development is the new Law on Audiovisual Media Services, which is yet to be fully implemented. We hope it will resolve the long-standing issue of financing local public broadcasters and improve the economic position of employees in those media. However, not all municipalities complied with the law when adopting this year’s budgets, and the Trade Union of Media will continue to insist on correcting this and on full implementation of the law.
The Media Law, adopted in mid-2023, also introduced several important changes, including—for the first time—regulations on journalists’ involvement in the selection of editors-in-chief, as well as protections for them in case of changes in media ownership or editorial policy.
The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro continues to grow. We now have around 700 members, nearly half of all media workers in Montenegro, employed in private, local, and public media. We are proud of every member, especially the young journalists whose enthusiasm, knowledge, and energy strengthen our community. Our Youth Section continues to make important strides, most notably with the launch of the youth magazine “Ekipa”, whose first two issues have already been published.
foto: SMCG
We do not forget those who are suffering most. Together with colleagues from the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), we support media workers reporting from war zones. The solidarity of the media community with journalists who have been killed, injured, or imprisoned in Ukraine and Gaza must reach a much higher level, and media outlets must call on governments to be held accountable and ensure the public is informed of all crimes occurring there.
foto: SMCG
Solidarity within our profession must be the foundation of all our actions. The struggle for rights, safety, and professional standards is a shared one. Only united and organized can we build a media landscape that serves the public interest and protects freedom of speech.
Executive Board of TUMM
