Countering Disinformation and Radicalization in Kosovo Policy actions for government, media, and international partners to foster resilience against disinformation that targets interethnic relations in Kosovo

Disinformation and ethno-political radicalization remain persistent problems in Kosovo, affecting both Albanian and Serbian communities and undermining trust in institutions and media. The DISRUPT project’s research and local consultations show that disinformation is amplified by weak editorial standards, lack of accountability, and limited fact-checking capacity. Local media decline and reliance on centralized or foreign sources have left communities exposed to targeted narratives, especially during political crises.

The most urgent challenges are media manipulation and lack of transparency, vulnerability of youth and older generations to false information, decline of local media and trusted information sources, insufficient institutional response—especially in bilingual communication—and political polarization. These challenges are interconnected and require coordinated action from government, municipalities, media, civil society, and international partners.

Recent consultations highlight the importance of appointing bilingual spokespersons—Serbian-speaking in central institutions and Albanian-speaking in Serb-majority municipalities—to improve communication and build trust across communities. There is also a clear need for more frequent, live press conferences and direct engagement with the public, rather than relying solely on written statements. These steps can help reduce ambiguity, clarify official positions, and counter the spread of false narratives.

To address these issues, the memo recommends establishing and funding independent, bilingual fact-checking units at national and municipal levels, strengthening editorial standards and accountability in media, supporting community-based media initiatives and media literacy programs, and integrating counter-disinformation measures into national security and regional cooperation strategies. The EU, OSCE, and other international partners should provide dedicated, regular reporting on normalization dialogue and interethnic disinformation, and support local monitoring mechanisms. These actions are necessary to reduce the impact of disinformation, improve public trust, and support Kosovo’s progress toward EU integration and regional stability.