Despite its small population (620,000 inhabitants), Montenegro has dozens of registered media outlets, including several daily newspapers, national private and public TV channels and one news agency. Three of the five television networks with national coverage are partially or completely foreign-owned, mainly by companies from neighbouring Serbia. 

As the country seeks to join the EU, the ruling coalition — which took power in 2023 — has aligned national legislation with European standards. Concerns of possible government attempts to interfere with the independence of the public broadcaster RTCG have resurfaced. The parliamentary majority adopted a new law allowing the media’s director general to stay in power despite multiple court rulings deeming his appointment illegal. Additionally, there are concerns that the foreign owners of some outlets will influence editorial policies to serve the interests of other states, such as Serbia, and their political figures. 

In Montenegro, freedom of expression is guaranteed and defamation is decriminalised. Despite several changes in recent years, gaps remain in the legal framework in terms of free access to public information and protection of the confidentiality of sources. The result is the insufficient protection of the media’s independence in the face of political and economic pressure. 

As the main advertiser, the state has, in recent decades, distributed most of its funds to the “loyal” media. While the state predominantly funds RTCG and local public broadcasters, the private media are largely subject to the influence of advertisers and market volatility. In response to the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the media sector, a problem compounded by challenges stemming from the small market size, the government introduced new legal measures in 2024 to boost a media support fund for public-interest journalism. 

Montenegrin society has deep ethnic, religious and political divisions, in addition to the authoritarian political culture inherited from the past. In such an environment, the media are often accused of working for foreign interests and of betraying the nation or the church.

Almost all crimes against journalists in recent years have been resolved, but many that took place long ago remain unsolved. This is the case, for the 2004 assassination of newspaper editor Dusko Jovanovic and the attempted murder of investigative journalist Olivera Lakić in 2018. Journalists are regularly targeted by smear campaigns fueled by politicians from both ruling and opposition parties.