By PODGORICA, 09.02.2026. – In January, Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) recorded tree new incidents were recorded in the SafeJournalists database.
On 14 January, during a protest by residents of Botun in Podgorica against the construction of a wastewater treatment plant, a female journalist from the ETV Portal was physically prevented from filming a public event while performing her professional duties. The individual involved had previously threatened the Mayor of Podgorica in connection with the same project. On 17 January, participants in the same protests attempted to stop a web portal CDM’s team from filming an unregistered road blockade in a public area, insisting that journalists were not allowed to record the event. The third incident occurred on 23 January, when Vijesti journalist Jelena Jovanović reported online harassment and attempted intimidation to the police. The following day, the Podgorica Court for Misdemeanors fined the perpetrator for insulting and misogynistic comments directed at the journalist, after he admitted responsibility and issued an apology.
Court Developments
The trial concerning the murder of Miodrag Kruščić and the wounding of journalist Olivera Lakić was postponed on 26 January before the High Court in Podgorica. The court accepted the request of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office for protected witness Bajram Pista to testify under special protection measures, including a protective screen, voice distortion, and identity concealment from a separate room, while rejecting the request to exclude the public from the hearing during his testimony. Pista had told police how the attack on Lakić was organised and stated that he was offered €150.000 to kill the journalist after his release from prison.
Other
A group of non-governmental organisations, including the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), has welcomed the decision of the Parliament of Montenegro to appoint Dragoljub Vuković as a member of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services .This appointment represents an important affirmation of the independence of the state media regulator and a clear example of the public interest prevailing over attempts at political control.
A total of 33 attacks against media workers were recorded in Montenegro in 2025, the highest number since records began. This was announced at the forum organised by the TUMM and the Media Institute ahead of Journalists’ Day in Montenegro on 23 January. TUMM President Radomir Kračković said that the safety of media workers significantly deteriorated over the past year. He noted that women journalists were the victims in 18 of the recorded cases, describing this as particularly alarming, and added that Montenegro continued to decline in the Western Balkans Journalists’ Safety Index.
Almost three quarters of media employees in Montenegro earn salaries below the national average, according to the Survey conducted by Defacto Consultancy for the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and TUMM. The survey also indicates that extended working hours are common: 28 per cent of respondents work between eight and ten hours a day on average, while 3,4 per cent report working more than ten hours daily. Overtime is more frequent in private media.
