ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the case of Serbia and an examination of how media reporting can affect the perception of local people and their relationship to refugees. Banja Koviljaca, a small town in Western Serbia, in which the first asylum centre in the entire former Yugoslavia was established, is key in understanding and explaining the relationship between media reporting and the implementation of international protection policies. During 2017, media coverage of refugees fluctuated between two extremes, either praising their contribution to Serbia or blaming them for ailments in the country that coincided with a Syrian presence. Policy processes are impacted by public opinion formally and informally. The tone of media coverage for effective implementation on sensitive policy matters such as refugee issues is critical to the formation of public opinion. The case of the media coverage of the refugee crisis in Serbia points to challenges and consequences that could surface in many countries where refugees are received.
