Event
Location: n-ost media hub, Alexandrinenstaße 2-3, Berlin
International institutions recognise the Srebrenica massacre of July 1995 as genocide, in Bosnia, however, media across communities present conflicting narratives of the past. These divided portrayals raise questions about the media’s role in reconciliation and the potential impact of international involvement in shaping public understanding of the past.
Join our discussion with
Adnan Ćerimagić (Senior analyst for the Western Balkans at the European Stability Initiative)
Aleksandar Miladinović (Reporter for the BBC World Service Serbian)
Moderated by Anneke Hudalla (n-ost programme manager)
Background and context
From 11 to 16 July 1995, Serbian soldiers murdered more than 8300 Muslim boys and men in Srebrenica. Since then, this small town in eastern Bosnia has symbolised the genocide committed by Serbian troops against the Bosniak population from 1992 to 1995.
International courts and the UN agree: what happened in Bosnia was genocide. Bosnian society, however, is deeply divided when it comes to the past. The majority of Serbian-language media deny or trivialise the events. In the Republika Srpska, some topics are almost taboo. On the other hand, the Bosniak and Croatian media are also struggling to find a form of reporting that allows the country to overcome ethnic boundaries and find a common form of remembrance.
What role does the media play in coming to terms with genocide? What does the reporting in both parts of Bosnia actually look like – and what are the causes of this type of reporting? Are there signs that the established media narratives are being challenged by a new form of reporting? Can (and should) the international community, especially the EU, influence the public debate on the past?
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