PODGORICA, 11.01.2026. – The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) recorded 28 attacks on media workers in the SafeJournalists database over the past year, the organisation announced. As they noted, this is not a final figure, but reflects cases reported directly to the Union by media workers, as well as those the Union learned about through the media.
“Experience shows that there is always a certain number of attacks that go unreported or do not reach us, so the final data will only be known at the beginning of this year, once we receive official information from the police,” TUMM said.
Speaking to the MINA news agency, TUMM stated that the figure is alarming when viewed in a broader context.
“Since we began systematically monitoring attacks against journalists, the worst years were 2021 and 2022, when we also recorded 28 cases each. This means that last year is already among the worst on record, and there is a real risk that it could become the worst once all reported attacks are taken into account,” TUMM said.
They highlighted that the gender dimension of the data is particularly alarming.
“Of the 28 attacks recorded so far last year, as many as 16 were directed at women journalists, five at their male colleagues, while in the remaining cases the victims were groups of media outlets,” TUMM stated.
According to them, the fact that attacks against women were three times more frequent than those against men must not be ignored.
Speaking about the position of journalists, TUMM said they have observed certain improvements in recent years in terms of protection provided by judicial institutions.
“This primarily includes the introduction of qualified forms of several criminal offences in the Criminal Code (endangering security, aggravated murder, grievous bodily harm and coercion), following initiatives by TUMM and Human Rights Action, as well as the binding instruction issued by Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković in cases involving attacks on journalists,” they said.
When asked about the signing of a Sectoral Collective Agreement (SCA) in light of the announced closure of all negotiation chapters in Montenegro’s EU accession process by the end of the year, TUMM recalled that this is an important obligation within the accession negotiations.
“At the same time, the situation with the General Collective Agreement (GCA), which has not been adopted but only extended until 31 March, points to the urgent need to adopt a sectoral agreement in the media sector, in order to provide longer-term protection for employees and to prevent their rights from depending on other documents such as the GCA, which requires broader agreement among social partners,” TUMM said.
They stressed that from the outset they have taken a constructive approach to this process.
“We are not asking for anything that media workers are not already entitled to, nor are we insisting on unrealistic or unsustainable demands,” they said.
“What we are seeking are dignified working conditions and a minimum level of security for people working in the media, but we are encountering a lack of understanding from employers, who even basic demands present as a business obstacle,” TUMM added.
This, they noted, shows that the work of media professionals is still viewed as a cost to be minimised, rather than what it truly is – the foundation of a quality and sustainable media system.
“We expect that in the coming period employers will begin to consider the broader picture and the interest of the state, which already allocates significant funds through the Media Pluralism Fund to enable media outlets to operate,” TUMM said.
As they emphasised, these funds are not intended solely for the survival of media companies as businesses, but also for improving the working conditions of those who produce content of public interest.
“Through the sectoral collective agreement, employers should demonstrate a willingness to retain quality staff and offer young people a clear perspective in journalism. Otherwise, we face the real problem of the best journalists leaving the profession for other sectors,” TUMM warned.
Addressing protection from online threats, TUMM said that the solution lies in a clear legal framework, its consistent application, and the readiness of institutions to respond swiftly and seriously.
“Stricter penalties alone are not a solution, but they do have a strong deterrent effect, especially in a society where online violence has long been treated as something ‘less serious’ than threats made in the physical world,” they said.
They added that experience has shown media workers are not threatened only in the workplace or while reporting in the field, but also in their private lives, particularly online.
“Social networks have become an extension of journalists’ working environment, but without clear boundaries or a sense of security, especially for women journalists, who, as noted, are often targets of more brutal and personal threats,” TUMM said.
They pointed to one case as an important example that the system can function when there is political and institutional will: threats made via Facebook against TV E journalist Itana Kaluđerović.
“The person who threatened her was sentenced to nine months in prison for a qualified form of the criminal offence of endangering security,” TUMM said.
They explained that this provision предусматрива harsher penalties when the victim is a journalist, and that it was introduced into the Criminal Code in 2022 at the initiative of TUMM and Human Rights Action.
“Such verdicts send a clear message that threats against journalists are not harmless and will not go unpunished,” TUMM concluded.
They also stressed the importance of encouraging media workers themselves to report threats, as failing to do so only strengthens a sense of impunity.
Source: Mina News Agency