Ethnic Divisions and Political Clientelism vis-à-vis the Media in Post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chapter 4 on Bosnia and Herzegovina argues that the post-Dayton ethnic division of the country has contributed to a clientelist network that is mainly pervasive in the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, ruled by Milorad Dodik, but can also be observed in the Federation. All media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, regardless of whether they are private or public, are under the influence of some political party. This is especially visible during the election campaigns across the public service broadcasters (Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS)) where Dodik and his SNSD were overrepresented. As in Serbia under Vučić, opaque ownership of the media also elucidated clientelist connections in all three entities. Thus, the Dayton Agreement, with the objective of fostering peace and stability, has had a countereffect in destabilizing the Federation’s ethnic divisions and contributed to an ineffective governance. Even secessionist voices have contributed to an overall environment where state capture and clientelism prevailed, most evident in the media sphere.