IREX: A fake news article is shared 927 times on average in Serbia

Dardeli said that the international, nonprofit organization, which specializes in global education and development, found that a total of 43 fake news stories were shared via the media and social media from March 12 to April 12 in the country.

Some of the fake news shared most commonly refer to topics such as China’s efficient response to the coronavirus crisis and conspiracy theories, such as that NATO is responsible for the virus, he said.ž

“Such content was shared online and by traditional media a total of 241 times. On Facebook it had 220 thousand shares,” he said.

Dardeli explained that it is difficult to get data which could indicate what group is most susceptible to disinformation and the damage it causes but that, generally, this could be defined as two major groups of people.

“One of them is, for example, a group nostalgic for the Yugoslavian past of Serbia and its historic connections with the Slavic world. That group particularly is most susceptible to disinformation which comes from the outside, especially from the Kremlin which seeks to implement geopolitical divisions and eventually turn Serbia towards Russia and the East, and not towards the West, the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance," he said.

The other group, which may be bigger, are people who use fear and uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and it is not particular to any age since the issue has affected everyone in the same way.

He cited an IREX study which said that 97 percent of Serbia’s population watches TV at least two hours a day while 60 percent uses Facebook and 44 percent Youtube.

"According to the majority of respondents, Television Pink publishes the most misinformation,” he said.

The issue can not be resolved easily or within a short time, he argued, adding that to tackle misinformation, Serbia’s civil society, media professionals, government institutions and the private sector must all work on it.

“Unfortunately, Serbia is lagging in the area of ​​media freedom and the work of media professionals. The Reporters Without Borders report states that Serbia has become a country where it is often dangerous to be a journalist, while fake news that is being promoted at light speed is becoming more and more visible. It’s no wonder that in the last report, Serbia slipped by three positions, ranking to 93rd,” he said, adding that “now is the time for action.”