The Media Center in Çaglavica organized a debate on the topic “Disinformation and Fake News in Election Campaigns – How to Protect Voters and Safeguard the Democratic Process”. The discussion shed light on the growing threat of online disinformation, with a particular focus on how Serbian officials have influenced Serb voters in Kosovo to support the Serbian List.
French Ambassador: Critical Thinking is Key, But a Coordinated Strategy is Needed
The French Ambassador to Kosovo, Olivier Guérot, emphasized that reason and critical thinking remain the best tools to counter disinformation, but because such campaigns are well-organized and financed, governments must adopt a coordinated inter-ministerial strategy.
He explained that France’s national strategy for combating disinformation is based on three pillars:
- Detection and exposure of corruption and manipulation through dedicated resources and monitoring.
- Responding with verified facts and, where possible, imposing sanctions on perpetrators.
- Calling out lies by name, identifying their authors, and exposing their methods.
“We still believe that critical thinking is the strongest foundation. But since these campaigns are sophisticated, we concluded that lies must be identified openly, their authors exposed, and facts reestablished,” Guérot said.
The ambassador also highlighted France’s support for independent journalism in Kosovo, mentioning the “Shared Horizon” project for the Western Balkans and an initiative where Serbian- and Albanian-speaking journalists work together, learn each other’s languages, and uphold Kosovo’s multiethnic character.
TikTok as a Vehicle for Manipulation
Festim Rizanaj from Hibrid.info warned that TikTok has become the most widely used platform for misinformation ahead of Kosovo’s local elections on October 12. He noted that similar tactics were used during previous campaigns.
According to him, disinformation strategies include:
- Fake opinion polls, designed to influence public perception.
- Manipulated photos and videos circulating on social media.
- Reactivation of dormant accounts tied to political parties.
Rizanaj further stressed that Serbian officials have attempted to orient Serb voters in Kosovo toward supporting the Serbian List, portraying it as essential for their community’s survival.
“This is a direct influence of Serbian politics and officials, suggesting that the very existence of Serbs in Kosovo depends on backing the Serbian List,” he said.
Challenges for Investigative Journalism
On the state of media in Kosovo, Tatjana Lazarević from the Kossev portal raised concerns about the lack of systematic investigative journalism.
“I don’t think there is a media outlet in Kosovo with the full capacity for serious investigative journalism. Good stories exist, and there are high-quality journalists, but there is no consistent system. The situation is even weaker in Serbian-language media,” she remarked.
