Montenegrin Media Reporting on the EU Accession Process

  • Abstract:

    This work is part of the scientific research project ‘Europe, Here and There: Analysis of Europeanization Discourse in Western Balkan Media’. The project is financed by the Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP/Western Balkan), and run by the University of Fribourg upon mandate of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Involved countries in this project are: Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Involved institutions are: Faculty of Political Sciences – University of Montenegro. Faculty of Philosophy – University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Political Sciences – University of Sarajevo and Faculty of Law – University of Skopje. This paper presents the research results related to the reporting of the media in Montenegro’s EU accession process, with special emphasis on electronic media. We analyzed the four radio stations and four television stations. Categories that were investigated, among others, are topics about Europe, EU and Europeanization in the main or the secondary focus. The research has also shown how Montenegrin electronic media reports on the topic of enlargement and accession to the EU, and whether on this issue the ones more involved are the representatives of the EU or the representatives of the state authorities of Montenegro. Montenegro became an independent state in 2006, after a referendum held on the 21st May of that year. The EU has decided in June of that year to establish relations with Montenegro as an independent state. The following year, 2007. Montenegro signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Community and its Member States. Finally, 15 December 2008. Montenegro submitted its application for membership in the European Union. Research has shown that about these topics (Europe, EU and Europeanization) commercial media were reporting more than (national and local) public services.