In our completely digital age, where information spreads very quickly, it is essential that citizens are vigilant and skeptical of the news they read. This is especially true in countries like Kosovo, where disinformation and fake news have become very common, especially due to unstable political situations.

Kosovo has always been an area affected by political and social turmoil. The tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have given rise to a series of false narratives and disinformation campaigns. Whenever something happens in the north of Kosovo, a wave of misinformation and fake news lands on social media platforms and also, unfortunately, on other media.

The sources of misinformation in many of these news stories are not mentioned. Many of the portals do not have “impressum”. Many social networking sites do not know what their background is and they appear before the citizens with disinformation, which misinforms them.

The distribution of untrue, distorted, and out-of-context news represents a challenge for the citizens of Kosovo. This not only cultivates an atmosphere of confusion and mistrust, but also has the potential to
shape opinion and incite political unrest. A suspected page had also called a protest in the south of Mitrovica along the transitions in May. Even though institutions warned citizens not to protest, people came out there called by “someone” they didn’t know.

The same photo of a soldier killed in Nagorno-Karabakh in the southern Caucasus was shared as a photo of a recently killed terrorist in northern Mitrovica. It was also used in the conference by Aleksander
Vucic, saying it as an untruth.

Unfortunately, these were distributed by the Albanian media. There are many reasons why this misinformation can happen. Sometimes it’s the lack of staff in the media, sometimes it’s speed, which is known as the main enemy of quality, but sometimes it can happen on purpose.

The Albanian media fall prey to the Serbian media, which is also known throughout the world as supporters of Vučić, so much so that Twitter has branded them as collaborators of the government. In
the absence of those who know the language, the Albanian media take the news in Serbian and only translate it into Albanian with “Google Translate”, conveying the clear message of the narrative that the
government wants to create.

The Hibrid.info platform in Kosovo has revealed in a report of theirs that the Serbian media mainly misinforms with the aim of promoting political agendas, while the Albanian ones produce “clickbait”, which leads more money in their accounts by clicking.

In the face of such widespread misinformation, it is essential that citizens be knowledgeable news consumers and actively engage in fact-checking.

However, the reality is that many citizens in Kosovo are not aware of this problem or proactive in verifying the facts to the extent they should be and do not separate the line between a media and a social media page.

The lack of media literacy and critical thinking skills among citizens further contributes to the problem.

Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach. First, the media and journalists should focus on emphasizing the importance of fact-checking in their reporting and not avoid it for the sake of speed. By
taking the time to verify information before it is shared, they can play a key role in combating the spread of misinformation.

Educational programs and initiatives should be implemented to teach citizens how to critically evaluate information sources and identify suspicious news. By empowering citizens with these skills, we can create a society that is more resistant to the spread of misinformation.

Furthermore, state bodies and social platforms should take steps to address the issue of disinformation. Strict rules and penalties should be imposed on those who deliberately spread false information.

Today in Kosovo we have the platform Hibrid.info and “Kryptometri” from BIRN that do the work of news verification. There, citizens can see what is not a broadcast.

Although there are great challenges, we must continue to work to strengthen our knowledge and skills to combat disinformation. Awareness and education are the most powerful tools in this battle.

This editorial is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo.