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This brief report follows the methodology developed by the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) in the Western Balkans, combining desk research, analysis of quantitative data from the SJN database, and qualitative insights gathered through three interviews with two female journalists who were victims of various attacks during 2025, as well as with one media expert focusing on the safety of journalists in Montenegro. Additionally, it incorporates findings from a focus group held on February 16 with eight female journalists of diverse professional backgrounds.
The report follows up on the research findings from 2024 and provides an updated assessment for 2025, with a particular focus on the implementation of existing legal and institutional protection mechanisms within a context marked by continuous political pressure and rapid digital transformation.
The analysis covers the period from January 1 to December 31, 2025, and examines risk patterns, forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, institutional responses, and their impact on the professional work and psychological well-being of female journalists. What this analysis lacks are changes in policies or official documents, which did not occur in the period between the two reports; therefore, it is largely based on statistical data on attacks against female journalists from the SJN database, as well as the testimonies of women employed in the media.
