FENA
Federal News Agency (FENA) is the news agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), created in 2000 through the merger of the former agencies BH Press and Habena.
Media assets
News agency: FENA
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
FENA was established by regulation of the Government of the Federation of BiH in 2000. The agency is formally owned by the Federation of BiH and its governance remains under the authority of the entity government. The management board is appointed by the Government of the Federation and is responsible for electing the agency’s general director and deputy director, subject to final approval by the government. This system of appointment has remained unchanged, and it continues to expose the agency to political influence.
In mid-2023, the Government of the Federation appointed a new management board, which in turn confirmed the appointment of Elmir Huremović as FENA’s general director. He had previously worked within the agency and was acting in the role before receiving formal confirmation. His current mandate covers the 2023–2027 period. Local observers note that the appointment followed the usual political bargaining process among coalition partners in the Federation.
Source of funding and budget
FENA’s budget continues to rely heavily on government subsidies. The latest consolidated figures available from official budget documents indicate that the agency operated with around BAM 3 million (approx. €1.5 million) in 2019, the majority of which came as a direct subsidy. Since then, public data on FENA’s finances are scarce: the precise budgetary amount for the agency’s operations in 2024 remains undisclosed in the publicly available information.
Editorial independence
Local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in April and May 2024 confirmed that the government’s role in appointing the management board and approving the leadership continues to allow political actors to exert influence over FENA’s editorial line. Although the agency maintains professional routines and provides news services to a wide range of outlets, its coverage is sometimes perceived as cautious or aligned with the political preferences of the Federation government.
Observers point out that FENA has generally avoided overt political propaganda, but instances of selective emphasis or downplaying of politically sensitive topics have been noted. The lack of a domestic statute guaranteeing editorial autonomy, coupled with the absence of an independent supervisory body, continues to undermine trust in the agency’s independence. As of 2025, there are still no mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina for independent validation or external oversight of FENA’s editorial standards.
September 2025