Monthly monitoring from July 2023 to the present has identified various forms of information disorder. These range from unverified news, manipulated information, and sensational or conspiratorial headlines to content generated by artificial intelligence, all prevalent in Kosovo’s media landscape.
In July, articles with information disorders that incited political tensions and inter-ethnic conflict between Kosovo and Serbia were prominent. Following theinauguration of four mayors in northern Kosovo municipalities, numerous politicians, journalists, and opinion leaders from Kosovo and Serbia spread nationalist and divisive narratives that fueled inter- ethnic hatred. During the elections in the four northern municipalities, many online portals and social media accounts in both Serbian and Albanian languages disseminated unverified information amid the tense situation, contributing to deeper inter-ethnic divisions, increased hate speech, and insecurity among citizens.
In the Albanian-language sample, articles and reports about the attack in Banjska dominated. While television media generally exercised caution in reporting and publishing information, online media published unverified information and spread disinformation. Online platforms primarily shared photos and videos from previous incidents, falsely attributing them to the events of September 24 in
Banjska. Online portals published images of soldiers from Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Conspiratorial narratives emerged from online portals, regarding tensions in Banjska and potential events following the September tensions. Most conspiratorial insinuations had negative content that could spread insecurity among readers, based on subjective opinions cited in the titles and content.
The most prevalent narrative in the Serbian-language sample during the year-long monitoring was about “Kurti’s regime” and “ethnic cleansing” against Serbs in northern Kosovo. These assumptions create a distorted impression of the situation in Kosovo, constructing an alternate reality for citizens in Serbia and readers of Serbian media.
Kosovan politicians, especially women in politics, were targets of online violence and misogynistic comments through memes and articles containing inciting language. Female politicians were particularly targeted with “deepfakes ,” disinformation, and misogynistic language. They also faced physical threats for their political views during live broadcasts. Misinterpretation of information, such as the speech by French President Emmanuel Macron, was also among the most viewed news in October. Due to a translation error, Kosovo and Albanian media incorrectly reported that visa liberalization for Kosovo was “suspended.”
The summit in Spain garnered significant attention in Serbian media, with leaders from European countries, including Kosovo and Serbia, invited. President Osmani’s statement that she would not meet with President Vučić unless the EU imposed sanctions for the September 24 attack was labeled as hypocrisy by Serbian media. Serbian media considered President Osmani’s statement hypocritical, claiming she traveled to Spain with a Serbian passport without issues or conditions. Such information misinforms Serbian readers about the political situation in Kosovo.
