On social media Facebook, the page “The government we want" published a post on Monday (May 4) in the form of an image with the caption "OHOOO, the survey shows Vetevendosje is doing better than expected."
In the comments section, the publisher has also placed a link that takes you to the article, published by the website "trayedit.com".
The published content claims that the Vetëvendosje Movement is experiencing a “festive atmosphere,” after a recent public opinion poll ranked this entity in first place with around 52% of citizen support. Further, according to the same claim, it is stated that the information is based on sources within the party structures.
What's wrong with this content?
This article does not show the results of this survey. It also does not mention the company that conducted it, or what methodology was used.
Also, there is no link in the content that leads to any potentially credible source or supporting document.
Hibrid.info has searched Google for any recent surveys, but the results do not show any results. (see here)
The website “trayedit.com” is characterized by a pronounced lack of transparency. It does not contain basic identifying information, such as the name of the organization or the responsible persons behind the publications. It also lacks contact information, physical address or other forms of communication, which are standard elements for media or platforms that aim to be considered trustworthy (see here).
What are surveys?
A survey is a preliminary research to know a situation, opinions or attitudes about something specific. In this statistical method Results are drawn based on the study of a portion of the population, called a sample.
Based on the institute's article Pew Research (research institute for surveys and evidence-based studies), it is clarified what information should be requested about how a survey was conducted.
Therefore, the reader who comes across such content, to verify whether it is a credible survey or not, should check:
Who conducted the survey and who sponsored it?
Who was interviewed?
How was the survey conducted?
How were people selected for the survey?
When was the survey conducted?
How many people were interviewed?
Was the survey weighted? If so, how?
Do the survey questions seem neutral and fair?
Analyze
A Facebook post claims that the Vetëvendosje Movement is leading with around 52% according to a recent poll. However, the article shared by the website “trayedit.com” does not provide any concrete evidence for this claim.
The content lacks key information such as the company that conducted the survey, the methodology, or detailed results. There are also no verifiable sources or supporting documents. Searches do not turn up any recently published such surveys.
Furthermore, the website "trayedit.com" itself does not provide basic transparency on authorship or contacts, making its content suspicious and unverifiable.
Based on its working methodology, hibrid.info assesses this content as "disinformation".
rationale
"Disinformation" is defined as information content that contains a "mix" of inaccurate sources or even half-truthful attributes, and that is created and/or distributed with the deliberate intention of causing harm. The motive behind the producers/distributors of disinformation content lies in achieving a political, financial, psychological or social goal.