“The goal is to provide an accessible tool for journalists, researchers, decision-makers, and citizens interested in understanding the media sector,” the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services stated.

Author: NarativAi

At the end of last year, Montenegro introduced a tool that addresses one of the most sensitive, and often overlooked, questions in the media landscape: who owns the media?

The new platform, developed by the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services, provides a searchable database of media ownership, aiming to make complex structures more accessible to journalists, researchers, policymakers, and the public. In a region where trust in media remains fragile, and ownership structures are often difficult to trace, the initiative brings renewed attention to a long-standing issue.

From scattered data to searchable insight

Montenegrin legislation already requires media outlets to disclose ownership structures, including individuals connected to owners through family or business relationships. These obligations are defined under the Law on Media and the Law on Audiovisual Media Services.

However, until recently, this information was dispersed across different sources, limiting its practical use. The new platform aggregates these datasets into a single, searchable system, allowing users to explore ownership structures of broadcasters, on-demand services, and distributors.

“The goal is to provide an accessible tool for journalists, researchers, decision-makers, and citizens interested in understanding the media sector,” the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services stated.

At the same time, the Agency notes that it cannot guarantee the full accuracy and completeness of all submitted data, as the system relies on disclosures provided by media founders and related entities.

Liberal rules, complex realities

Montenegro’s regulatory framework allows relatively liberal entry of capital into the media market, with limited restrictions on ownership concentration. While such an approach can encourage market diversity, it also raises questions about the extent of influence behind media outlets. Ownership transparency, in this context, becomes a key mechanism for understanding potential links between financial structures and editorial policies.

Coverage by RTCG has also pointed to the importance of making ownership data more visible, noting that clearer insight into ownership structures can support both institutional oversight and public understanding of the media environment. 

Transparency and access to public funds

The issue is not only informational, but also regulatory. Under Montenegrin law, media outlets that do not disclose ownership data are not eligible for public funding and cannot apply for support from the Media Pluralism Fund. This creates a formal link between transparency and access to state resources. At the same time, the availability of data does not automatically translate into oversight. The extent to which these rules are enforced, and how actively the data is used, remains part of the broader media policy landscape.

A tool for multiple users

The platform is designed to serve different groups: journalists investigating ownership patterns, researchers analysing media systems, policymakers monitoring compliance, and citizens seeking to better understand the sources of information they consume.  Across the Western Balkans, where media ownership often remains difficult to map in practice, such tools remain relatively rare.

(This text was written and reviewed by the editor with support from artificial intelligence tools for language editing and stylistic refinement. More on how NarativAi uses AI — Link)