Addressing Misinformation through Fact-checking Journalism

Posted on
Kosovo
September 2022 – June 2023

BIRN Kosovo

This project aims to contribute to combating the spread of fake news and disinformation in Kosovo by raising awareness and promoting fact-checking reporting among the people of Kosovo and supporting fact-checking journalism. The project aims to increase public awareness on fake news and disinformation, especially among marginalized groups such as women, the young and members of non-majority communities.

Summary:

In a multi-ethnic, post-conflict society, misinformation has the potential to adversely impact conditions for sustained peace and coexistence among communities and create political strife, apart from having many of the same consequences that fake news has across the globe.

The project comes at a critical time, as Kosovo witnesses an upward trend in the spread of fake news and disinformation. Media outlets lack the capacity to report on these issues and uphold professional fact-checking standards, while consumers are not well equipped to spot fake news stories and debunk them.

With this project, BIRN Kosovo will continue its work of increasing public awareness of fake news and disinformation, especially among marginalized groups such as women, the young and members of non-majority communities. Through training workshops, short videos, fact-checking articles, TV programmes and other related activities, BIRN will seek to provide objective facts and information to all Kosovo citizens, educating them on how to identify, analyse and debunk fake news misinformation and disinformation.

Donor:

UNMIK

Main Objectives:

Objective 1: enhance media literacy: Youth across Kosovo will gain necessary knowledge of fact-checking and accurate reporting, subjects fundamental to journalistic ethics and skill development, which otherwise have no formal educational training.

Objective 2: increase public awareness of fake news and disinformation relating to areas such as security, health, the economy and culture, creating more discerning consumers of news and reducing the susceptibility of local populations to misinformation and how this phenomenon affects the lives of citizens.

Objective 3: improve knowledge of people across all communities on fake news and disinformation as well as the impacts of these phenomena in society; Increase public awareness of unfolding situations through accurate, timely and objective media reporting.

Objective 4: raise awareness among Albanian and Serbian-speaking communities in Kosovo of fake news relating to inter-ethnic issues, therefore reducing inter-ethnic strife and advancing sustainable peace.

Main Activities:

  1. Organise three (3) training workshops on fact-checking journalism with young journalists and students from different communities in Kosovo.
  2. Produce five (5) short videos on fake news and disinformation, aimed at increasing public awareness of and public vigilance towards fake news and disinformation.
  3. Screen short videos in high school across different municipalities in Kosovo.
  4. Publish 60 articles that debunk fake news or misinformation circulating across various platforms in Kosovo.
  5. Provide fact-checked real-time, accurate reporting during crisis situations.
  6. Broadcast two (2) TV programmes on the impact of fake news on society.
  7. Establish an anti-disinformation partnership with local Serbian-language media.
  8. Publish ten (10) articles debunking fake news as a result of this partnership.

Target Groups:

  • Members of all ethnic communities in Kosovo, particularly Albanians and Serbs
  • Students and journalists of local media from different ethnic backgrounds
  • Citizens of Kosovo

Main implementer:

BIRN Kosovo

Project associates:

Gracanica Online