From State-Controlled Media to the 'Anarchy' of the Internet: The Changing Influence of Communications and Information in Serbia in the 1990s

This article examines the role of information and communications in Serbia from 1987 through the downfall of Slobodan Miloševic´ in 2001. The main focus is on the unprecedented use and dramatic impact of the Internet, starting with the development of the non-violent resistance community in the mid-1990s. An annotated timeline illustrates the interrelationship between political events and media developments and is presented in three phases. The first is the government's campaign of fear mounted during its takeover of the media, starting in 1987. Next comes the period from 1990 through 1995, where opposition to the government develops, and independent print and broadcast outlets such as Radio B92 struggle to survive. The final period, 1996 through 2001, is dominated by the use of the Internet to organize resistance to, combat, and finally defeat government attempts to retain control and influence. Evidence suggests that this is due to the Internet's facilitation of the creation of communities of interest. Notwithstanding current electoral problems, there is potential for Serbia to use the Internet and other new information and communication technologies to modernize its government.