Disinformation in Kosovo: How political polarization and social networks influence disinformation

Festim Rizanaj, researcher at the HIBRID platform, emphasized that political polarization, socio-economic factors and lack of media education have created an environment that is prone to fake news and manipulation. He also presented the practices of disinformation, where major disinformation platforms such as Facebook and TikTok are important sources for the spread of fake news, conspiracy theories and fact manipulation. Even traditional media are influenced by practices such as clickbait and the publication of unverified information.

Rizanaj mentioned that the main topics of disinformation have been security, electoral and political issues, including the arming of the KSF, the election campaign and other topics such as claims about the release of former KLA leaders and the opening of the Ibar Bridge. He also spoke about external influences, emphasizing the spread of disinformation comparing Kosovo to Crimea and linking political developments in Kosovo to those in Serbia.

During the panel discussion, Xhemajl Rexha, President of the Association of Kosovar Journalists (AGK), pointed out the lack of a special media department in Kosovo that checks facts before journalists publish content. Rexha also mentioned social media as a source for publishing misinformation and for this, he said, he praised the good work of hibrid.info in detecting content circulating in the digital space.

The AGK chairman recommended journalists to first stop publishing fake news and then take action against disinformation.

While Alban Zeneli, professor at the UP Institute of Journalism, spoke about the external influence on public discourse in Kosovo. Zeneli mentioned cases in which Russia used Kosovo to justify its expansionist policy towards the countries of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), but pointed out that the public in Kosovo is also a target of potential Russian influence. According to the university professor, Russia aims to keep Serbs in Kosovo away from Kosovo’s institutions through disinformation, while with Albanians it aims to distance them from belief in Western values./hibrid.info/