Wrote: Etrit Rexhepi
As the local elections of October 12, 2025 approach, public attention has focused on the candidates running for mayor and municipal assemblies. In this context, the media play a key role not only in informing citizens, but also in shaping perceptions of the candidates. A notable phenomenon during this campaign are favorable headlines, which can create a positive image for a particular candidate, often without a clear factual basis.
During the research by Hibrid.info, only on October 5th, articles were found in the headlines of which favoritism was observed for certain candidates who are running for the position of mayor in several municipalities. Three headlines mainly claim the great support that certain candidates are receiving (see here, here and here). The content reports on a specific activity of a candidate, based on which the claim is made in the title about the support they enjoy, favoring the candidate for whom it is reported.
A characteristic of these articles is that the claims presented in the title are not stated in the content by any source and that they are not based on any concrete fact or given any figure that would serve as a concrete measure of the support they may have.
Another typical example of titles favoring a candidate is the article with the title, "LDK campaign in Llap: 'Doki' with a gun drives Bulliqi away from Podujevo. This headline suggests a result without evidence when the statement "removes Bulliqin" is given, offering a concrete effect in favor of the candidate without providing data or facts based on surveys. This headline can be perceived as support for the candidate for whom it is reported.
Even in this headline, the assertion presented in the headline is not stated by the entity being reported on.
A slightly different example is the article titled, "Alban Hyseni presents the numerous achievements within the 4-year mandate, transforming Gjilan". The article is based on the words of the subject it is reported on and presents his achievements, without providing independent data or sources that substantiate them.
Affirmation for "the transformation of Gjilan" is the subjective judgment of the author. There is no commentary from other sources that would balance the assertion presented in the title. The article also does not place the achievements in a comparative context with previous periods, standards or similar projects in other municipalities.
According to Law on Local Elections, political entities are free to campaign and market in the media, as long as this is done in accordance with legal regulations.
Meanwhile, Written Media Code stipulates that advertisements, political or sponsored materials must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content.
In the cases analyzed, the headlines do not clearly distinguish between promotional and informative content, as the content is published in the form of news.
Based on the evaluation methodology by Hibrid.info, informational content where it is clearly observed that facts are favored, positions and conclusions that match a particular narrative, often not respecting the rule of contact with the other party, are assessed as "Biased reporting".