Disinformation Trends and Narratives in the Western Balkans: Media Monitoring Report for the Period January-March 2023

This report is based on a continuous monitoring process of domestic media in North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina conducted within the framework of the regional project Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: Exposing Malign Influences through Watchdog Journalism. It presents an overview of disinformation trends and narratives, their distribution between countries, and their sources for the period of January-March 2023.

During the monitoring period, the most frequent theme for disinformation in all Western Balkan countries was “The Russian war in Ukraine”. Narratives such as “Ukraine tries to involve Poland in the war” and “Poland plans to annex western Ukraine” appeared in the monitoring period as part of the Russian tendency to undermine Poland’s relations with neighbouring countries, using the same tactics used in the Western Balkan region.

STATE FUNDING IN NORTH MACEDONIA: MAKING THE SYSTEM FAIRER, STRONGER, AND MORE TRANSPARENT

This policy document builds on the findings of an in-depth study on paid political advertising during the 2024 parliamentary elections.[1] It aims to identify sustainable and realistic, long-term solutions to improve the system of political financing in the country. And, whilst we have focused on the use of indirect state funding through media – inclusive […]

Towards Inclusive Internet Portals and Election Advertising in North Macedonia

This Policy document is based on findings from the research that explored the 2024 Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia from a social inclusion perspective, with a particular focus on persons with disabilities and ethnic communities. Persons with disabilities were considered within a socio-economic conceptual stream, as a multiply vulnerable group, socially and politically deprived due […]

BRIDGING THE GENDER GAP: STRENGTHENING WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION IN POLITICAL ADVERTISING AND COVERAGE ON INTERNET PORTALS IN NORTH MACEDONIA

This policy document builds on the findings of IFES North Macedonia in-depth study on paid political advertising during the 2024 parliamentary elections. It aims to identify sustainable, long-term solutions to improve the inclusion and representation of women and gender issues in internet portals. The in-depth study noted that in the short term some practical improvements […]