KCSS at DISICON: Presentation of the Report “Nexus Between Disinformation and Interethnic Relations in Kosovo”

On December 9, the Kosovar Center for Security Studies (KCSS) team was pleased to participate at the DISICON event at the information integrity event organized by NDI Kosovo and USAID Kosovo in Prishtina. The KCSS team was off to a good kick-off start of the event, where Jeta Loshaj, researcher at KCSS presented the findings of a research paper titled “Understanding How Disinformation Targets Interethnic Relations in Kosovo.” The paper has been drafted by the KCSS staff, Dr. Ramadan Ilazi (Head of Research at KCSS), Jeta Loshaj, and Tamara Pavlovic (Intern at KCSS), with the support of NDI Kosovo and USAID Kosovo. 

            The purpose of the paper was to unveil the widely recently discussed phenomenon of disinformation and how it affects interethnic relations in Kosovo. In order to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic and the research, the paper focused on the following key elements:

• Identifying factors that make interethnic relations in Kosovo vulnerable to disinformation.
• What the sources that distribute and amplify disinformation targeting interethnic relations are.
• The impact of this phenomenon in interethnic communication, institutional trust, and efforts for reconciliation. 
• Key recommendations and actors that should be considered and take role, respectively, in addressing disinformation campaigns. 

While the final draft of the paper has not been published yet, the key findings that were presented state that the high prevalence of disinformation in Kosovo reflects an entrenched disinformation ecosystem that thrives on the vulnerabilities that the society endures. Moreover, disinformation amplifies political disputes, history, and negative stereotypes by portraying members of opposing ethnic groups as aggressors or threats. Disinformation sources have even led to claims that there will be an imminent war between Kosovo and Serbia.

The sources that are most known for spreading disinformation include online news websites, social media such as Facebook, Instagram, X, Telegram, but also word of mouth (rumors) that circulate in smaller and isolated circles. The report presentation was illustrated with a few examples, such as how the Banjska terrorist attack is perceived and portrayed by the Albanian and Serbian communities, the ASM (Association of Serbian-Majority Municipalities), the measures of the Kosovo Government in the northern part of the country, and other similar events. The conclusion was that such a widely spread disinformation campaign not only affects trust and communication within communities, but also tackles institutional trust and damages reconciliation efforts. That is why several recommendations need to be considered. A few of them include: support by the government to factchecking initiatives and media literacy campaigns, more communication and cooperation with stakeholders such as the civil society and media in order to prevent disinformation, and including media education in schools.

The full version of the paper “The Nexus Between Disinformation and Interethnic Relations” will be published soon on the platforms of KCSS and NDI Kosovo.