The media has proven to be the most important channel for communicating with citizens at times of crisis and all regional governments should secure more financial help for media organisations, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) said on Sunday.

“Other than educating citizens and trying to protect every one of them from the biggest health risk in modern history through timely and accurate reporting, media also protect democracy at a time when the human rights of citizens across the world are limited in some ways,” the SEEMO statement said.

A lot of media organisations now face an uncertain future, it said.

„At a time when the media is expected to do more than ever and report all the information as quickly as possible, the revenues in the market are not enough for media to even secure basic survival,” the organisation added.

It urged all regional governments to secure additional funds to support all media and secure conditions enabling them to function at full capacity and inform citizens regularly.