Demostat: USA will help in dealing with the wave of disinformation in the Balkans

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Although the extent of Russian disinformation in recent months cannot be quantified, experts agree that the intensity of hybrid threats has increased, as have the ways in which Russian disinformation is spread in the Balkan countries, writes Demostat.

Balkan countries, including North Macedonia, are said to have relatively low levels of media literacy and media freedom, sensationalism and fake news are on the rise, and public broadcasters are also facing a lack of audience interest in truly understanding the media.

This is one of the reasons why James Rubin, Special Representative and Coordinator of the US State Department’s Center for Global Engagement, has arrived in North Macedonia.

Experts interviewed by “Sloboden pečat” agree that the intensity of hybrid threats has increased, as well as the ways in which Russian disinformation is spread in the Balkan countries. One narrative, which has been particularly persistent since the start of the war in Ukraine, is that NATO expansion was the reason Russia was forced to attack Kiev, Demostat points out.

According to Macedonian security analyst Peca Trajkoski, the visit of State Department Special Representative Rubin to the country and the region represents direct US support in efforts to counter hybrid threats and disinformation narratives in countries coming from outside.

“The arrival of Special Representative and Coordinator of the State Department’s Center for Global Engagement James Rubin in Macedonia is a great support for the country and for the Western Balkan countries in terms of confronting hybrid threats, propaganda and disinformation. The support that Macedonia, as a NATO member, receives from this step is more than obvious and this visit shows that the United States is committed to tackling this global problem, to which no country, not even our own, is immune,” Trajkovski said. .

According to Trajkovski, this issue is serious and belongs to the defence of the country because, as he explains, if Macedonia as a country is attacked in a hybrid way, this is not only its own problem, but also a threat to other NATO member states, including America.

“I am confident that Macedonian and regional institutions are capable of countering these security challenges, which I believe are caused by the fake news and disinformation that we all face. This is because, as a country that aspires to the EU, we have already coordinated our policies and orientations against this so-called false narrative coming from the East, but at the same time, I would like to stress that, despite everything, no country, including the most powerful one, can tackle this global problem alone. Therefore, the only answer to this global problem is to join forces by raising media literacy in societies, investing in education, being more critical, but also by recognising and valuing all types of media content,” said Trajkovski.

He believes that tackling Russian propaganda is a challenge for all governments in the region.

Similarly, Zaneta Trajkovska, from the Institute of Communication in Skopje, believes. She said that Rubin’s visit to the Western Balkans was a confirmation of America’s geostrategic positioning in this part of Europe.

“It is in America’s interest to take certain steps towards confronting disinformation in the Balkans. Of course, disinformation has a global impact and as a society we are vulnerable to these phenomena. This practically means that the space is opening up for the spread of Russian influence not only in the Western Balkans, but also in EU countries. At the same time, the arrival of the US High Representative suggests that some policies will be strengthened in the direction of strengthening the system to fight and deal with fake news. However, adopting policies alone is not enough to have a satisfactory effect in the fight against manipulation and harmful influences. To overcome this situation, it is necessary to work together with the whole of society,” stressed Trajkovska.

A serious approach is needed, she said, and this, she explained, can only be done by including media literacy as a subject taught in education from an early age.

“We need to foster a critical opinion among citizens, but also focus on solving problems with older groups of citizens, so that they can identify on social media which information is true and which is not. In addition, it is important to note that a very important tool if we want this process to work as a whole is active and full transparency of all processes in the country. Non-transparency in the work of institutions creates mistrust among citizens and leaves space in society for the easy spread of foreign influence,” said Trajkovska.

Rubin said after the meetings in Podgorica that he was confident that Montenegro would no longer turn to Belgrade and Moscow. He also expressed his conviction at the press conference that the fight against disinformation will be a priority for the new government in Montenegro.

Rubin, according to Montenegrin media, said it would be difficult to make progress in the Western Balkans if Russian disinformation dominated the region. He pointed out that there are many portals in Montenegro spreading disinformation from Russia and China. For example, there is false information that there is a factory in Ukraine producing biological weapons. It is also a lie that the US wanted a war in Ukraine, Rubin said.

US Special Envoy James Rubin, State Department spokesman under Bill Clinton and “right-hand man” to former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, is currently visiting the Western Balkans. He is visiting the region for the first time in 23 years, and the topic of his visit will be Russia’s influence, but also the issue of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid agreements, as well as the fight against disinformation.

Rubin believes that this is “a time of great hope in the Balkans” and that the conflicts will end, but it will be extremely difficult.