Prepared by: Festim Rizanaj
During the period 16–21 February, monitoring of misinformation in the media and social networks shows that fake news has dominated. Out of five cases handled, two of them turn out to be fake news, distributed mainly through social networks and suspicious websites.
During this period, fake news was published mainly on social networks and on dubious online pages, without verifiable sources and outside credible media. This content was distributed in the form of posts with manipulative images and captions, aiming to appear as genuine statements by public figures. Regarding the topics, they were mainly political and linked to important local and international figures. One case concerns a false claim that Bill Clinton has declared support for Hashim Thaçi, presenting him as “clean” and falsely linking this statement to a prestigious media outlet. The other topic is related to domestic politics in Kosovo, where it was falsely claimed that Albin Kurti has criticized Besnik Bislimi for the dialogue process with Serbia and has changed his stance towards him in government functions. In both cases, the topics aim to influence public perceptions of political leadership, dialogue processes, and international relations, creating confusion and fostering misinterpretations of current developments.
In the category of deception and disinformation, the content was published mainly on social networks such as Facebook and TikTok, using manipulated or artificially generated images to increase the credibility of the claims. Thematically, these cases focused on sensitive political and institutional issues. One case relates to an alleged “decree” by Hashim Thaçi on the issue of 24 hectares of the Deçan Monastery, aiming to influence public perception on institutional decision-making and state-religious community relations, while the other presents a manipulated front page of a fake German newspaper aiming to discredit Albin Kurti and create a false image of the positions of the international media. In both cases, the content was constructed to incite emotional reactions, damage trust in institutions and spread false narratives about political developments in the country.
A clickbait misinformation campaign has been published on YouTube by the channel “NTV NEWS Albania”, where the title claims that the name of the new president of Kosovo has been revealed. However, the content of the video is not related to this claim at all, as it deals with developments regarding the war in Iran and its impact on the region. This case shows the use of misleading titles to attract clicks, at a time when the process of electing the president in Kosovo has not yet been completed.
Fraud/Disinformation
Images have been published on social networks Facebook and TikTok that claim to present a “Decree” signed by former President Hashim Thaçi, regarding the implementation of the Constitutional Court’s decision on 24 hectares of land in the Deçan Monastery. The posts suggest that the document is authentic and shows official actions by Thaçi. After verifying the facts, Hibrid.info has not found evidence confirming the existence of such a decree. Neither in the former president’s posts nor on the official website of the Presidency of Kosovo is there any data confirming that Thaçi had signed a decree on this issue. Also, analysis of the images with the HiveModeration.com platform showed that they may have been generated by AI. However, comparing the signature in the images with real documents signed by Thaçi showed that the signature does not belong to the former president. (here)
Misinformation/Clickbait
A video published by the channel “NTV NEWS Albania” on YouTube claims through the title that the name of the new president of Kosovo has been revealed. However, the content does not provide such information, but discusses the war in Iran and its impact on the region. The facts show that the process of electing the president in Kosovo is still suspended and has not been completed. (here)
Lies
An image that appears to be the front page of a German newspaper has been published with the headline “Kommunismus kommt wieder zurück in Kosovo” and a photo of Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, with the caption “Albin Kurti eine Serbische spion”. The posts suggest that the content is real and that the news was reported by international media. After fact-checking, Hibrid.info has confirmed that the image is visually manipulated and does not represent a real newspaper. No German newspaper with the name “BALD” has been found. The design and format of the image resemble the newspaper “BILD”, but the content is manipulated. In fact, the content was created with an online generating application, where photos can be uploaded and headlines added to shape a newspaper front page as desired. This generator, according to the chatbots, is intended for entertainment and satire, and not for publishing real news. (here)
Fake news
An image of Bill Clinton has been published, accompanied by a caption claiming that he has declared that Hashim Thaçi is “completely clean” and that his conviction would be a “huge blow to the USA”. The post also claims that this statement was made to The Washington Post. After verifying the facts, Hibrid.info has found no evidence that Bill Clinton has made such a statement publicly. There is no publication of this nature in The Washington Post or in any other credible media. Online searches and verification of reliable sources have not yielded any information confirming this claim. (here)
An image of Albin Kurti and Besnik Bislimi has been published, accompanied by a caption claiming that Kurti has stated that Bislimi has “negotiated badly” with Petar Petkovic and that for this reason he has not appointed Bislimi as either deputy prime minister or minister. The same caption also claims that Kurti has described the agreements reached in the dialogue with Serbia as a mistake. After verifying the facts, no evidence has been found that Albin Kurti has made such a statement publicly. There is no official announcement or credible media reporting confirming this claim. (here)