The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has published a damning report, “Ending the Silence on Online Harassment of Journalists”, revealing that digital attacks, smear campaigns, and coordinated harassment against journalists are exploding across Europe—with Serbia emerging as one of the most alarming offenders.
According to EFJ’s research, which surveyed journalist unions and conducted interviews and workshops across Europe, more than 60 percent of media organizations have recorded a surge in online attacks, while 40 percent report that these abuses are being normalized, treated as if harassment is an inherent part of the job. Women and minority journalists are disproportionately targeted.
In Serbia, the situation is particularly dire. Multi-year campaigns of harassment against journalists Dinko Gruhonjić and Ana Lalić Hegediš exemplify “coordinated attacks” that blur the line between digital and physical violence. According to EFJ, 41 percent of Serbian journalists targeted online have faced impersonation or manipulation, including “deepfake” content—a terrifying sign of how organized these attacks have become.
EFJ President Maja Sever warned that such attacks can no longer be dismissed as isolated incidents.
“The target of every online threat is a real person. Their life, safety, and dignity are under siege. Turning off the laptop does not erase the danger,” Sever said. “Journalists are being systematically threatened. It is our duty to stand with them against these orchestrated campaigns.”
In Serbia, authorities are failing the journalists they are sworn to protect. Police and prosecutors routinely downplay online threats, leaving journalists exposed to escalating violence. Tamara Filipović Stevanović, Secretary General of the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, stated bluntly:
“When authorities minimize digital threats, they are complicit in creating an environment of impunity. These attacks do not remain online—they often spill over into the real world. The Serbian state is sending a clear message: harassment of journalists will go unpunished.”
Journalists themselves recount the terror. Dinko Gruhonjić, a journalist and university professor, said:
“One fake video triggered a relentless avalanche of threats against me and my family. Loyalty to truth and justice in Serbia now comes with a real threat to life. Silence is not an option—but fear is everywhere.”
Ana Lalić Hegediš, who has endured years of misogynist attacks, described the constant barrage of sexualized threats and insults. “The aim is no longer to silence me—it is to destroy me,” she said.
Getoarbe Mulići, Executive Director of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, emphasized the gendered dimension of the attacks in the region. Women journalists in Serbia face threats of sexual violence, deepfake pornography, and attacks targeting their families—an attempt to drive them out of public life entirely.
The EFJ report makes clear that 95 percent of attacks in Serbia have political or ideological motives, amplified through bot networks and polarized groups, exposing a coordinated assault on freedom of the press. This is not random harassment—this is a deliberate, systematic attack on democracy and the rule of law.
The report calls on governments to take urgent action: train police and prosecutors to recognize digital violence, implement internal security protocols in media houses, and require social networks to provide emergency channels and transparent risk assessments for journalists.
In Serbia, the failure to act has made the country one of the most dangerous in Europe for journalists—where harassment is tolerated, and the state itself effectively turns a blind eye to the destruction of independent reporting.
