On social media, a piece of information can seem credible just because it has been seen several times. One site publishes it, another shares it, then a third presents it as news, and, in the end, the reader is faced with the same claim in several different places.
At first glance, this may give the impression that this is information confirmed by several sources. However, if its origin is traced, it may turn out to be only from a social media page that is falsely posing as the media.
This is a particularly important problem when it comes to sites that present themselves as media, but do not provide clear information about the editorial staff, authors, or ownership.
This phenomenon is known globally by the term "Pink Slime" (which literally translates into Albanian as "pink sludge") and is attributed to sites that create the impression that they are media, but in reality publish content with poor editorial standards, often without sufficient transparency about sources and authors.
Some cases handled by hibrid.info
In June 2026, a Facebook page published a claim that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) was considering an offer for cooperation with the Vetëvendosje Movement, seeking the post of president, four ministries, and the position of first deputy prime minister (see here).
The claim was attributed to “sources” within the LDK and published on a website called “blog.foodsfact.org.” Hibrid.info found no confirmation of this information in the media or credible sources and found that the website did not provide clear information about ownership, address, or contacts.
The same content was then shared by several Facebook pages, as well as an Albanian-language portal operating in North Macedonia.
In another case, the same page claimed through a piece of content that the incumbent Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, had two non-partisan names under consideration for the post of president. This claim also referred to unidentified sources and was published on the dubious website “blog.foodsfact.org”. Hibrid.info did not find confirmation in the media or credible sources. The claim was subsequently shared by other pages on Facebook (see here).
This is how a 'chain' is created.
Unidentified source, page posing as media, republishing from other pages and creating the impression that the claim is reported by multiple sources.
But, the number of publications does not necessarily mean that the content is true.
When a social media post becomes a "statement"
Another case handled by Hibrid.info shows that the problem can also appear when information moves from one platform to another and changes the way it is presented.
In April 2026, content was published claiming that Kosovo coach Franco Foda had said that the release of Turkey's squad had affected Kosovo's preparations. The content was initially published on Reddit, then appeared on X and later, was published by a Facebook page (see here).
After that, the claim was turned into articles in two Albanian-language online media outlets, which presented it as a statement by Foda. These publications did not indicate the source from which the statement was taken.
Verification conducted by hibrid.info confirmed that Foda had not made such a statement. His interviews after the match with Turkey did not support the claim.
This case shows that during the passage of information from one platform to another, a claim can lose track of the original source and gain the appearance of a 'true statement' reported by a media outlet.
Why does repetition make a claim seem more credible?
If a user sees the same claim on social media, then on another site, and later on a portal, it implies that since everyone is reporting it, then it must be true.
The phenomenon is not just local
A similar example is addressed by "The Washington Post", which shows that pages posing as media may publish poor quality, biased, or false content.
In the case described by The Washington Post, one such site published an article alleging that an Illinois school district was using a racially-based student grading system. The allegation spread on social media and gained widespread attention, creating the impression that it was a real development in schools.
But the school district denied the claim. According to The Washington Post, school officials clarified that the information was false and that the system described in the article did not exist.
However, the fact that the claim was debunked did not stop it from spreading. The content continued to be shared and was picked up by other sources, again presenting itself as factual information. Thus, a claim originating from a dubious site can gain a false appearance of credibility simply because it is repeated on other sites or media.
What should we keep in mind when we see such content?
When we see content published online and shareddistributed across several platforms, it is important to keep in mind some basic things to avoid falling prey to misinformation.
VERIFY THE SOURCE
Who published the content?
Is it a well-known medium or an unknown page claiming to be "media"?
Check if there is information about the editorial staff, website, contacts, or author.