RESIS published a new analysis detecting the still existing structural obstacles to the development of media freedom in North Macedonia: the market is fragmented, most media outlets are financially weak and unsustainable, the working status of journalists is still insecure and unstable, the public broadcaster does not have financial stability, autonomy and independence, and the access of local communities and vulnerable groups to the public sphere is imperiled. In addition, since social networks are the main source of information for most of the population, especially younger groups, people are greatly exposed to disinformation and hate speech.

This creates new challenges for the regulatory policy whose development lags behind technological advancements. Based on these considerations several policy recommendations have been put forward to reinvigorate the long-expected media reforms in the country.

The analysis was the basis for a discussion at a virtual expert workshop entitled "Media Freedom in the Western Balkans", organized in October 2021 by the ASPEN Institute Germany. The expert workshop convened a group of about 40 experts, think tankers, and journalists from the region as well as decision-makers from the EU, its member states, and international organizations for a multi-perspective, open exchange on media freedom. In December 2021 the analysis was published on the Website of the ASPEN Institute, along with several other analytical texts from other countries in the region.