Media in Bosnia, 3
Media transitions, from government ownership to private ownership, are an important
area for both media scholars and development theorists. Media scholars can gain much from
systematically studying the successes and failures of transitional media systems. Likewise,
development theorists, especially those who recognize the link between civil society and press
freedom, also stand to gain insight from examining media’s role during social and political
development. Media transitions are occurring throughout the world and one of the most
noteworthy regions to study has been Eastern Europe. In this region the media are
transitioning from being a mouthpiece of a communist state to a fledgling private, commercial
enterprise.
The newly formed nation of Bosnia-Herzegovina offers media scholars and
development theorists a powerful case study of a media transition. What makes the Bosnian
media transition noteworthy is that hundreds of media outlets throughout Bosnia have received
millions of dollars of international assistance. The objective of this assistance is the creation of
an independent media capable of moderating the nationalist voices that brought war to Bosnia.
Unfortunately, little evidence exists evaluating the effects of this financial assistance on the
credibility of the Bosnian media. Only one study has measured public acceptance of media
messages. Taylor and Kent conducted focus groups in 1998, just two and half years after the
Dayton Peace Accord, and found:
independent media lack credibility in Bosnia. This may be attributed to a societal
attitude toward media that goes back to the nationalist propaganda before and during
the war and a suspicion of any media . . . Regardless of the causes, the independent
media in Bosnia need to address their lack of credibility before they can have the impact
on democracy that everyone hoped they would have. (pp. 372-373)
Convention