Anti-EU narratives dominate Serbian TV as pro-Russian framing persists, report finds

Serbia’s most-watched television channels continue to frame the European Union predominantly as a negative actor, while Russia and China benefit from largely favourable coverage, according to a new media monitoring report by EUalive’s partner Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA).

The findings, based on an analysis of more than 11,000 media mentions in national TV news and morning programmes between January and October 2025, point to a persistent structural bias in Serbia’s broadcast media that runs counter to the country’s formal EU accession trajectory.

In Serbia, the vast majority of television channels with national reach, including the public broadcaster RTS and major private stations such as Pink, Prva, Happy, and B92 (now O2.TV), exhibit strong pro-government bias toward President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

The findings show that while the United States and Russia dominate overall media visibility, the tone of coverage differs sharply. The EU is most frequently presented in a negative context, while Russia, China and, increasingly, the United States receive more positive or neutral treatment.

Anti-Western framing remains entrenched

CRTA’s data indicate that anti-Western narratives remain dominant throughout 2025, accompanied by a consistently present pro-Russian narrative. Among international actors, the EU is the most frequent target of negative coverage, significantly outpacing NATO and the United States in terms of adverse framing.

Between January and October 2025, anti-EU mentions rose sharply compared to the previous period, while anti-American narratives declined. At the same time, positive reporting increased only in relation to Russia and the United States, while favourable coverage of the EU, NATO and China fell.

The report notes that in the Serbian media landscape, Russia is most often portrayed positively, followed by China and the United States, whereas the EU appears predominantly as a negative actor. This pattern is particularly pronounced in manipulative content, where the EU is the main target of negative narratives.

Manipulative content largely domestically produced

According to the monitoring, the majority of manipulative content does not originate from foreign sources or social media platforms but from domestic Serbian media themselves. Between 74% and 81% of such content across different narrative categories was traced back to national broadcasters.

Manipulative narratives in 2025 increasingly favoured the United States and Russia, while the EU remained the primary object of negative framing. The report highlights that although the volume of manipulative anti-American content has declined compared to 2024, anti-EU messaging has intensified.

CRTA also observes that in areas such as international politics, the war in Ukraine, Kosovo and EU integration, Russia and China are systematically presented more positively than the EU, which remains marginalised or framed through criticism.

Political actors shape the narrative

The report underscores the central role of domestic political actors in shaping these narratives. The President Aleksandar Vučić overwhelmingly dominates media space, with 366 live television appearances in the first eleven months of 2025 alone.

When Vučić is cited, countries led by populist or authoritarian leaders – notably Russia and China, are portrayed predominantly positively, while the EU is framed mainly in a negative light. This pattern reinforces the alignment between domestic political messaging and international media framing.

Among political figures, Vučić is by far the most frequently mentioned, followed by senior government officials such as Ana Brnabić, Marko Đurić and Miloš Vučević, all of whom contribute to the prevailing tone of foreign policy coverage.

Visibility does not equal balance

The United States and Russia dominate media attention numerically, with Russia receiving more than 4,600 mentions and the U.S. over 3,500 during the monitoring period. By comparison, the EU received around 2,700 mentions, while China and NATO appeared less frequently.

However, CRTA emphasises that visibility does not translate into balanced reporting. The qualitative assessment shows that the EU’s presence is largely associated with criticism, pressure or conditionality, while Russia and China are linked to cooperation, partnership and political support.

Key media spikes corresponded to high-profile political events, such as Vučić’s visit to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations and senior Serbian officials’ visits to China. In contrast, EU-related events, including visits by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, received comparatively limited and less favourable coverage.

Long-term implications

CRTA concludes that the persistent dominance of anti-EU narratives, combined with favourable portrayals of authoritarian partners, contributes to a distorted public perception of Serbia’s international positioning. The report warns that such patterns risk further weakening informed public debate about Serbia’s EU integration process and foreign policy choices.

Despite Serbia’s formal commitment to EU accession, the media environment continues to reproduce narratives that marginalise the Union while normalising or legitimising closer alignment with Russia and China. According to CRTA, without structural changes in editorial practices and accountability mechanisms, these trends are likely to persist.

Caption: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic passes members of the media on the day of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, 2 September 2025. The meeting takes place one day ahead of China’s Victory Parade commemorating the end of WWII. EPA/MAXIM SHEMETOV / POOL