Media map of the world tailored to those in power: China and Russia positive, EU negative, Trump the desirable West

CRTA's monitoring shows that in the first half of 2026 the biased media picture of the world is further entrenched - one in which the EU is increasingly presented as an adversary of Serbia, while China and Russia are portrayed almost exclusively in a positive light. Negative reporting on the EU rises in particular whenever its moves are interpreted as pressure or interference in Serbia's domestic politics, and anti-EU narratives account for as much as 40 percent of all recorded manipulations about foreign actors. At the same time, China receives markedly favorable treatment, especially in May 2026, when Vučić's visit to Beijing is used to glorify China as a global power, but also to present President Vučić and the current authorities as a guarantor of Serbia's development, stability and international standing. The attitude toward the United States remains divided: while previous administrations, the Pentagon and the "deep state" are portrayed negatively, Donald Trump and his administration are increasingly presented as a desirable part of the West and a political opportunity for Serbia. Such reporting does not inform the public about foreign-policy relations; instead it produces a politically useful picture of the world aligned with the messages of those in power.

The results of CRTA's media monitoring for the period from 1 January to 14 June 2026 show that the most-watched news and morning programs on nationally broadcasting televisions continue a long-standing pattern of biased reporting on foreign actors. The European Union is still predominantly presented in a negative context, while Russia and China are almost as a rule portrayed affirmatively. In the case of the United States, the media's stance is not clear-cut: negative narratives about American structures, the Pentagon, previous administrations and the so-called "deep state" remain present, but Donald Trump and his administration are increasingly presented as a political and economic opportunity for Serbia.

The monitoring covered 5,384 mentions of foreign actors in central news broadcasts and morning programs on RTS 1, TV Pink, TV Prva and Happy TV. The most represented foreign actor was the United States, at 35 percent, followed by Russia at 23 percent, the EU at 22 percent, China at 13 percent and NATO at eight percent of mentions. However, how often an actor appears says only how present it is, not how it is portrayed. The EU had 84 percent negative mentions compared with 14 percent positive, while China had 99 percent positive and just one percent negative. Russia was likewise presented predominantly positively, with 88 percent positive mentions against 12 percent negative.