The majority of the editors and the media in Macedonia operate in an environment  influenced  by  the  political  centres  of  power  and  often  even  under  threats. The political pressure backed by the media owners mainly results in a biased, partisan and non-comprehensive journalism.

The Analysis offers an overview of the legal framework, implementation of the legislation in the sphere of online media and communications in Macedonia, the role of the self-regulatory mechanisms, as well as, review of the experiences and perceptions of the different stakeholders on internet.

This publication was a result of a wider research project of the South Eastern Europe Network for Profesionalization of Media, which was focused on identifying good and bad practices in media business.

Over the years, the Macedonian authorities have grown fairly familiar with methods of financial “support” for media outlets, using funds allocated from the national budget. The results of this obvious misuse have been even more evident in the media market in recent years.

A proactive approach by journalists and institutions is required to efficiently deal with hate speech and discrimination Journalists and individuals who use the media for delivering hate speech and discrimination, should be legally accountable and editors should encourage journalists to adhere to professional work free of hate speech. In addition, self-regulation should be used more frequently as a reacting mechanism in cases of hate speech in the media.