Media Reporting on the Problem of Missing Persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Perspective of Members of Their Families

Abstract

The paper theoretically elaborates on the issue of the families of missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is still relevant after more than two and a half decades since the last war. In this regard, the text highlights the lack of relevant information on finding missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war as the main problem facing families of missing persons. The media play an important role in the visibility and pointing out the need to solve the problem of missing persons in B&H, and often contribute to the overall picture of the public through their (non)work. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance and shortcomings of media reporting from the perspective of the families of missing persons in B&H. In this regard research was conducted that included 100 family members of missing persons, to examine their views on the manner and frequency of media reporting, the perception of the professional approach of journalists to whom they had the opportunity to give a statement, but also ways to improve media coverage the issue of missing persons. The conducted research revealed that the statements of family members of missing persons in the media are reported factually, mainly during the anniversary celebrations, and less investigative journalism, and that newsrooms do not have specialized journalists on this topic. According to the results of this research, we concluded that closer cooperation between the media and the Associations of Families of Missing Persons is needed to improve media reporting on the topic of missing persons in B&H. It would greatly contribute to solving this problem in society.