Law on Public Information and Media

The Law on Public Information and Media is important because media are not just an industry, and information is not just the flow of news. The way the public is informed determines whether citizens can understand what the authorities are doing, how public money is spent, who makes decisions and whose voice remains outside the main frame.

This law regulates the basic rules of public information, the public interest in media, the work of media outlets, the position of journalists and editors, media pluralism, the media register, protection of rights in public information and the relationship between media, institutions and citizens. It is especially important when discussing freedom of expression, media accountability, the public interest, protection of journalists, ownership transparency and the public’s right to know.

For Avangarda, this law is not only a media regulation. It is part of a broader story about democracy, human rights and public space. Without free and responsible information, citizens are left without the tools to understand the society in which they live. Media then stop being a space of the public and become an extension of power, the market or party interests.

This resource serves as a starting point for understanding public information and media rights in Serbia. For specific legal procedures, the official source should always be checked and professional legal assistance, competent institutions, journalists’ associations or other relevant bodies should be contacted.

The applicable law includes Official Gazette RS 92/2023 and amendment 51/2025, replacing 83/2014, 58/2015 and 12/2016 — authentic interpretation. Articles 31–34 and Article 47(1), points 11–14, and 47(2) began applying on 1 January 2025. The 2025 amendment changes competition, editorial independence of public publishers and reporting on criminal proceedings. Distinguish reply, correction, privacy, presumption of innocence and damages: each route has its own conditions and deadlines. Keep the publication and correspondence and identify the alleged violation. Media registration and project co-financing are different procedures from protecting an individual affected by published information.

This supplements Avangarda’s informational editorial overview, rather than reproducing the statute. Translations are editorial, not official. Check the applicable text and appropriate legal route for your case.

This law is used to understand how public information and media work are regulated, what the public interest in media means, what rights and obligations journalists and editors have, and how citizens’ right to be informed is protected.

This law can be used by citizens, journalists, editors, media outlets, researchers, students, civil society organizations, institutions and anyone who wants to understand how public information and media rights are regulated in Serbia.

Use it when dealing with media work, public information, freedom of expression, media ownership, the rights and obligations of journalists, public interest in information, media funding, media registers or protection of rights in public communication.