The media environment in Serbia is becoming increasingly unfavourable for free and responsible journalism, dominated by sensationalism, political pressure, non-transparent ownership, self-censorship, and constant threats directed at those who attempt to investigate and report on issues of public interest. In such an environment, investigative journalists often become targets of attacks, while the number of SLAPP lawsuits, threats, and physical assaults continues to grow year after year. For this reason, education and support for the new generation of journalists have never been more important.

As a response to these challenges, the Belgrade Open School, with the support of the Kingdom of Sweden, implemented the Journalism Academy, a multi-month educational programme for young journalists. The programme is part of the initiative “Advancing Media and Youth CSOs for Prosperous Democratic Development of Serbia”, and aims to strengthen the professional and practical capacities of young people committed to reporting in an accurate, ethical and independent manner.

The fourth cycle of the Academy concluded with a final training held from 14th to 16th May 2025 at Srebrno Jezero, where participants had the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals, exchange knowledge, and present their final works.

On the first day, a lecture was delivered by Jelena Zorić, who spoke about the challenges of investigative journalism under conditions of pressure, intimidation, and political obstruction. Her presentation highlighted the complexity of working in newsrooms that dare to ask difficult questions and dig deeper despite the risks involved.

On the second day, participants were addressed by Rade Đurić, a legal expert from the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, who spoke about the safety aspects of journalistic work, with a particular focus on institutional protection, digital security, and legal tools available to journalists.

In the final part of the training, participants presented their final projects developed over the previous three months with the support of mentors. Their work covered important local and national topics.

At the end of the training, all participants received certificates as recognition of their engagement and effort, while the works of Snežana Katunac, Nemanja Marinović, and Marija Stojadinović were awarded.

Once again, the Journalism Academy demonstrated that young journalists do not give up, despite a challenging media climate, they choose integrity, accuracy, and dedication. Their work brings hope that truthful and responsible journalism in Serbia has a future.