The influence of Russian foreign state media on public opinion in Western democracies is already known – regardless of its political qualifications. There are well-documented analyzes, e.g. from the US, France and Germany. The European Parliament has repeatedly demanded that member states adopt strategies against “hostile propaganda” by Moscow, The Geopost reports.
A study by the Friedrich Nauman Fundation proves that the situation on the Balkan Peninsula is completely different. Russian media material is very welcome in this region, which often accepts propaganda content through Serbian language media.
“The political elite, as in the largest and most important Balkan country, Serbia, or in the Serb half of Bosnia and Herzegovina, traditionally maintains close ties with Russia. As the political elite – above all President Aleksandar Vucic – controls almost entirely the media landscape, media offers from Russia are very welcome. Because the Serbian print and electronic media suffer from chronically insufficient funding, the free information provided by Russia is gaining even more importance,” wrote the study’s author, Dr. Thomas Brey.
The study says Sputnik and Russia Today are becoming major sources of information on developments in regional and global geopolitics. And this information often does not correspond to the truth. Analyzing Sputnik’s reports, the report finds that journalistic norms and ethics are rarely respected – on the contrary, bias and tendencies prevail.
“The matrix in Sputnik is clear. It does not follow classical journalism – for example, news and commentary are not separate. Resources are treated superficially, much more carelessly and, above all, with a goal in mind. Therefore, the purpose is not to provide exhaustive information, but to promote and achieve political objectives,” the report said.
According to the document, journalists at Sputnik do not think about their work from the reader / user’s point of view, but instead follow a one-sided approach to top-down content. “Figuratively speaking, the exclamation mark is the preferred punctuation mark. The Western media tries (at least ideally) to ask questions independently, so as not to overlook or distort anything. “Their favorite punctuation mark is the question mark,” the study said, comparing Sputnik to Western media.
Key elements of Sputnik’s composition, according to the document, include selective reporting instead of comprehensive reporting; the event does not matter, but the intended place and, because of this, are inflated to an extent that does not correspond to reality; sources in reports are either irrelevant to an issue being covered, biased or disproportionately weighed; focusing on individual events instead of important issues that are placed in the wrong context or described without context; identification of the joint Russian-Serbian base or the path to the supposed fraternities; moralization of issues – Russia and Serbia self-victimize; explanation of Russian foreign policy worldwide in order to create understanding and approval; “evidence” that Russian weapons technology is far more advanced than military technology in the West; glorifying the person of Putin as an ideal leader and role model for senior Serbian (and foreign) politicians; supporting the Serbian and pro-Russian political elite in the region, weakening the opposition; “Evidence” that Western democracies are doomed to fail; the “superiority” of Russia’s politics and economy over the West; influencing the countries of the former Yugoslavia by sowing discord and highlighting differences, e.g. of Serbs against Croats, Albanians, Montenegrins …
The purpose of Sputnik’s propaganda, according to the report, is also to prevent the Balkans from being part of Euro-Atlantic structures. The EU is presented with an exclusively negative light to prevent Serbia and Montenegro from moving forward in the accession negotiations, and demotivating Northern Macedonia to make reforms to start those negotiations.
Media power from Russia in this part of the Balkans, according to the study, ensures that the EU and the US often find themselves lost in this battle. Although the EU is the largest donor and investor in Serbia (accounting for 67 percent of all foreign investment), a large part of the population believes that Russia and China are in the lead in this area. Although Serbia conducts the vast majority of its trade (62 percent) with the EU, many Serbs believe that Russia is the country’s closest economic partner. Serbia, meanwhile, is one of the top three countries in the world to benefit from remittances from Brussels, receiving about 300m euros in non-refundable aid each year. Although the EU is trying to help Serbia build democracy with billions of euros, polls show that most Serbs prefer some form of Russian-style dictatorial government – a “strong leader”.
Surveys conducted as part of the study say that Serbia’s position between the two poles – Russia and the EU – is nevertheless more on Moscow’s side. Nearly 85 percent o serbs surveyed believe that their country does not actually have the international status it deserves. Meanwhile, 70 percent blame the EU for part of it, because it is against Serbia’s interests. About 71 percent see NATO as a threat to European security. In a parallel poll in several countries, only Russian citizens were stronger in this opinion.
Xhelal Neziri- The Geopost contributor from North Macedonia
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