Joint Programme

Horizontal Facility

Strengthening professional, accurate and balanced media elections reporting was the focus of a training for journalists and media professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants had the opportunity to learn about European standards for professional election reporting and how these standards are reflected in the domestic legal framework and applied in everyday journalistic practice. Particular attention was paid to the provisions of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including its latest amendments ,as well as the role and responsibilities of the media throughout the electoral process.

With the special focus to the use of new electoral technologies aiming to prevent and address irregularities during elections, the training also covered the use of artificial intelligence in the electoral context, including challenges related to disinformation, AI-generated content, social media and the algorithmic amplification of information. Participants discussed the challenges faced by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC) in implementing the new legal provisions and overseeing the electoral process. In this context, relevant Council of Europe standards on electoral communication and media coverage of election campaigns were presented, in particular CM/Rec(2022)12, which emphasises freedom of expression and pluralistic debate, fairness and integrity of electoral communication, transparency and accountability, protection against manipulation, as well as inclusiveness and non-discrimination.

Through practical discussions and an exchange of experiences, journalists explored how these standards can be applied in concrete situations – from verifying information and reporting responsibly on political actors to identifying manipulative content and making responsible use of new technologies. The training highlighted the key role of professional and independent media in ensuring that citizens have access to accurate, pluralistic and reliable information during elections, thereby contributing to informed public debate, the integrity of the electoral process and the resilience of democratic institutions.

The training programme was organised as part of the action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PRO-FREX)”, implemented under the European Union and Council of Europe’s joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye,” and the Council of Europe project “Supporting transparency, inclusiveness and integrity of electoral practice and processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded through voluntary contributions under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026-2029.