ABSTRACT
Media freedoms in Serbia have decreased over the years, and the coronavirus outbreak illuminates the intensification of pressure on freedom of speech due to recent arrests of citizen journalists. Freedom of expression may be restricted if there is the need to protect public health, however, even then, it is important that these limitations be proportionate to their cause and necessary in a democratic society. As the world faces COVID-19, the role of media as public watchdog, access to internet, and the role of social media have become increasingly important. In Serbia, too, public space has been flooded with various information about the virus, but limitations to free speech seem to have reached the edge of acceptable with people detained and arrested for allegedly “causing panic” on social networks. Deeply polarized media landscapes in Serbia show that pro-government media approved such actions, while the few pro-opposition media outlets reminded citizens about the role of citizen journalists and the need to balance the state of emergency with the public interest. This chapter analyzes media discourse about the arrests regarding coronavirus-related posts of ordinary citizens, exploring the balance between measures taken for protection of public health and the right to freedom of expression.
