This experimental research, i.e. the ground zero measuring of the Index, was conducted as part of the project "Civil Response to Clientelism in Media – MEDIA CIRCLE" in six Southeast European countries - Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Romania.
"Clientelism and politicisation of the media is the norm rather than an exception, and in each of the countries surveyed reference can be made to a lack of freedom in the media and a media scene which is significantly controlled by various political, economic and financial interest groups," the director of the Partnership for Social Development nongovernmental organisation, Munir Podumljak, told a press conference.
Not one of the said countries has established a comprehensive media register that would provide the public with an insight into the situation in each section of the media market, based on the type of media and their ownership structure.
All attempts to access the results of business operations of privately-owned media proved to be unsuccessful in most countries, apart from Croatia and partly Macedonia, where indicators for television and radio broadcasters were made available.
In 2015, about 200 various media outlets in Croatia and almost 800 in Serbia consumed state support for the media. The total value of funding in Croatia was 10.9 million euro.
Additional grants allocated from the state budget for promotion and advertising in Croatia amounted to 31.5 million euro. The total revenue of advertising agencies in 2015 amounted to 511.2 million euro and their profit to 21.3 million euro.
It has not been possible to determine the precise number employed in the media in any of these countries.