BIRODI: Coverage of Expo 2027 was largely promotional rather than critical and informative

Coverage of Expo 2027 on Serbia’s major television news programs was overwhelmingly promotional, according to the Bureau for Social Research, BIRODI. From the beginning of the year through the end of July, seven stations devoted a combined two hours, 12 minutes and 15 seconds to the specialized international exhibition. Three-quarters of that time, 75.2%, carried a positive tone. Neutral coverage accounted for 14.8%, while negative coverage made up 10%.

BIRODI said the promotional pattern appeared on RTS, Pink, Prva, B92 and Happy. On Pink, 97.1% of the time dedicated to Expo was positive and 2.1% neutral. Prva recorded 96.7% positive and 3.3% neutral coverage, while RTS recorded 96.5% positive and 3.5% neutral. B92’s coverage was 92% positive and 8% neutral. None of those four stations carried negative coverage in the figures cited by BIRODI.

The picture differed sharply on N1 and Nova S. N1 devoted 49% of its Expo coverage to negative material, 46.6% to neutral coverage and 4.4% to positive coverage. Nova S was predominantly neutral, with 48.7% neutral, 42.4% negative and 8.9% positive coverage.

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An almost completely positive tone, alongside the absence of critical information and relevant opposing views, does not allow citizens to gain a complete picture of a project financed with public money and producing long-term economic, urban and social consequences.

BIRODI said media outlets that promote Expo without critically examining its costs, financing, public procurement, deadlines, risks and institutional responsibility violate Article 51 of Serbia’s Constitution. That article guarantees citizens the right to truthful, complete and timely information on matters of public importance, and obliges public media to respect that right.

“An almost completely positive tone, alongside the absence of critical information and relevant opposing views, does not allow citizens to gain a complete picture of a project financed with public money and producing long-term economic, urban and social consequences,” BIRODI said. The organization added that media outlets should not serve as promotional arms for state projects. It urged the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media to respond, saying viewers receive fundamentally different images of the same project depending on which television station they watch.

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Media outlets are not promotional services for state projects. Their constitutional obligation is to enable citizens to access all relevant facts and views so they can form their own opinion independently.