Competitive Authoritarianism under Pressure? Social Protests and the Hybrid Media System in Serbia – An Introduction

Abstract

This article introduces a thematic section on the interrelationship between social protests and the hybrid media system in Serbia and on how this affects Serbia’s competitive authoritarian system. The chosen research focus of the thematic section is the impact of this changing media landscape on the media power of both the governing regime (governmentality “from above”) and societal actors, the latter comprising networks that either reinforce or challenge (competitive) authoritarianism (governmentality “from below”). The introduction begins by examining the relationship between disinformation and the broader changes associated with the rise of digital media. It then takes a closer look at Serbia’s competitive authoritarian system and how state media capture impacts traditional and digital media. It concludes by presenting the core arguments of the four research articles that make up the thematic section and showing how they relate to its broader themes.