Media Freedom in South-East Europe Faces Escalating Digital Threats

In Montenegro, journalists from the daily newspaper Vijesti also received online insults and threats using offensive language. Some were falsely accused of having connections to drug-dealing gangs.

In Albania, a dispute between media owners fuelled by the arrest of a company owner on charges of stalking and violence against his former roommate, as well as allegedly publishing a video without her consent, led to a derogatory article that insulted journalist Anila Basha, published by the online media outlet Prapaskena.com. The article also made inappropriate comments about Basha’s niece, and was accompanied by some private photos.

In Bosnia meanwhile, Jasmin Mulahusic came under investigation by the prosecution for suspected criminal offences related to inciting national, racial, and religious hatred, as well as discord and intolerance, through his Facebook posts targeting some local journalists.

Despite being under investigation, Mulahusic persisted in targeting other journalists. In a recent social media post, he openly threatened two of them.

Meanwhile, in Romania, influential blogger Marian Godina insulted journalists from the independent outlet Recorder for allegedly revealing unverified information about police misconduct. Godina claimed that the journalists had got their story wrong.

Doctored photos in Kosovo, misinformation in Bosnia

Journalists in Kosovo and Bosnia continued to encounter challenges to their professional reputations and safety in July.

In Kosovo, on July 2, 2023, a Facebook page called ‘Thënie nga Albin Kurti’ (‘Statements from Albin Kurti’) launched an attack on journalist Berat Buzhala by posting a doctored photograph of him.

The image falsely depicted Buzhala getting into a car with Serbian licence plates and was accompanied by a caption claiming that Buzhala saw Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti as equivalent to wartime Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

The original photo however showed Buzhala with a car that had valid Kosovo licence plates and the Facebook page intentionally altered the image to spread misinformation about the journalist’s allegiances.

Buzhala denied the claims and clarified that the car plates had been digitally altered and that the vehicle belonged to a resident of Skenderaj, where he had gone to provide assistance where there was flooding in that area.

Meanwhile in Bosnia in July, a former music talent manager spread false information about the death of renowned Bosnian TV host Senad Hadzifejzovic in a post on Facebook. The former manager posted that Hadzifejzovic had passed away, stating that it was “sad news” and that he couldn’t believe it but hoped it was misinformation.

The post caused concern and distress among the public. It was swiftly removed from Facebook but showed how the dissemination of a piece of unverified news about public figures could have a serious impact.

Bosnia has been covered by Elma Selimovic, Aida Trepanić and Azem Kurtic, Turkey by Hamdi Fırat Büyük, Albania by Nensi Bogdani, Romania by Adina Florea, North Macedonia by Bojan Stojkovski and Goce Trpkovski, Montenegro by Samir Kajosevic, Kosovo by Diedon Nixha, Croatia by Matej Augustin and Serbia by Tijana Uzelac & Kalina Simic.