I guarantee that every person from Podgorica infected with nail fungus will be able to order an anti-fungal preparation with a 50 percent discount and stop poisoning their body. That sentence, which appears in the text below regular content on portals and established media, is attributed Sanja Arsic, doctor at the Regional Dermatology Clinic in Podgorica.
Even with the simplest internet search, you can find information that neither Sanja Arsić is a doctor nor there is a Regional Dermatology Clinic in Podgorica. Nevertheless, a considerable number of users will believe in the advertised content, and some of them will even fill out the inquiry at the end of the disputed text and take advantage of the alleged discount for the "miracle preparation"...
The creation of disinformation is extremely profitable, because it is possible to make a lot of money by manipulating advertising algorithms, the Media Institute of Montenegro (IMCG) reminds us of a statement from 2018 by one of the presidents of the Facebook social network.
"Adam Mosery then admitted that most of the misinformation on the Facebook platform is created because of money, not because of ideology," he says Olivera Nikolić.
IMCG, the Raskrinkavanje.me portal and the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) spoke to "Vijesti" about the consequences of the spread of fake news and misinformation, as well as the necessary measures to prevent the spread of such content.
What is fake news
"According to the Debunking methodology, which was developed in cooperation with fact-checkers from the regional SEECheck network, fake news is defined as an original media report (completely produced by the media that published it) that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Furthermore, it can be reliably determined that the contents that are classified as fake news were created and disseminated with the intention of misinforming the public, that is, of presenting a claim that is completely false as a fact," says the editor-in-chief of that portal. Darvin Murić.
Murić adds that, in relation to fake news, in the Raskrinjavanja editorial office, they more often encounter disinformation, that is, manipulations, content that is a mix of accurate and inaccurate content, which, he explains, the audience is more inclined to believe precisely because of that part that is accurate. .
"Also, a frequent form of disinformation of citizens is conspiracy theories, that is, claims that are untrue, but at the same time unverifiable or difficult to verify. These are the craziest things you see on the Internet and in the media - chipping through vaccines, seismic weapons and other figments of the imagination of conspiracy theorists," added Murić.
Speaking of what the most common forms of fake news are, Damir Nikocevic from AEM said that these are the ones with bombastic clickbait titles, which try to attract the attention of users in a sensationalist way.
"And often such titles do not correspond to the actual content of the text. Manipulation of images and video content is one of the increasingly common problems. Recently, we have witnessed a campaign in which public figures in the region are abused to send a message about the alleged extraordinary effects on the health of the elderly population. "More and more often, parody content on social networks is interpreted as real news, which becomes viral if it spreads uncontrollably," he said, adding that it can represent a special danger for those with an insufficient level of media literacy.
How they spread
The creators of fake news use different strategies to make their stories look credible, and their good placement with the audience, according to Murić, enables coordination and coordination:
"For example, the Russian propaganda machine was so well coordinated and ready to engage in aggression against Ukraine that it was impossible to defend itself in the first wave. Countless accounts on social networks and platforms like Telegram coordinately market and share falsehoods with well-rehearsed language constructions. I also have a media network that is maximally controlled, all 'their' media publish the same fake news in just a few minutes. We saw similar action in some pre-election campaigns in Montenegro, and the media from the neighborhood were involved. The fake news was created on individual accounts and groups on social networks, and the tabloids published it in a coordinated manner almost at the same time with the cross-border help of local nationalist portals".
During the summer, there were posts on social networks and the Internet in Montenegro that misused the names and photos of public figures and institutions. So, for example, the visual identity of the Red Cross was used, with an invitation to users about the alleged social program and help for those with joint pain.
Nikočević explains that fake news increasingly often has quite professional graphic and textual processing, "by which we try to make the news look legitimate".
"One of the tactics is the marketing of disinformation by mixing true and false information with the inclusion of segments that can cause a strong emotional reaction, which aims to further confuse public opinion."
He adds that social networks also allow buying likes, sharing and spreading comments through organized bots, which, he said, is another strategy that ultimately aims to create the impression that many people believe and support a post or story on social networks.
The problem of social networks, unregistered media...
The editorial staff of the Raskrinkavanje portal said that social networks are the primary source of misinformation and that this is rarely the case when it comes to traditional media with a clear editorial structure. As they add, unregistered, unregulated media "serve" citizens on a daily basis, and social networks are a platform for spreading such information.
"In Montenegro, disinformation in the media and the fight against it are not defined in any law, therefore, anyone can do what they want and lie to the citizens as they want, without any consequences. It's even worse with social networks, which absolutely no one even mentions, even though the European Union (EU) already regulates it through the Digital Services Act. It is unclear what needs to happen in order for our institutions to admit that we have a problem with disinformation and start protecting citizens," says Murić.
The findings of the focus group within the public opinion survey "Media Literacy in Montenegro", which was carried out by AEM, with the support of the OSCE Mission in Montenegro, showed that the responsibility for the spread of disinformation is predominantly linked to the Internet and social networks.
"It has been recognized that the downloading of unverified content, also known as 'copy-paste' journalism, by various sources, especially online publications, can create the illusion among readers that the news is accurate, precisely because of its spread," says Nikočević from AEM.
Misinformation also brings back infectious diseases
Speaking about the consequences that the spread of fake news has on society and individuals, Murić said that it is enough to point out that due to misinformation about vaccines, diseases that were eradicated in the last century, such as measles, are returning.
"Anyone who looks at the statistics on vaccination of children will see the consequences of disinformation, it seems that only those who should be the first to react to it do not see that," he said.
Nikočević from AEM adds that the consequence is that fake news influences public opinion, misinforms the public, which can potentially make decisions based on incorrect information.
"This can result in an increase in polarization in society, an excess of extreme narratives, and a lack of tolerance towards diversity, as well as a decrease in trust in the media and journalists in general," he said.
Difficult with young people, even more difficult with the elderly
When asked what are the best ways to educate the public about recognizing fake news, Murić said that to begin with, it should be acknowledged that the problem exists.
"Until we admit to ourselves that we have a problem, legally and institutionally we start to fight against disinformation, I think that education cannot have its full effect. How can we teach children what disinformation is when it is not mentioned in any law and those who spread it with intent can do so without hindrance? Media literacy in schools is certainly a good idea, but educating children without protecting them from misinformation and influence cannot achieve the desired goal," he said, adding that the situation is even worse for the older population, because "we cannot send them back to school , we have to make sure that as little fake news as possible reaches them".
Journalism with integrity as the answer
When asked about the responsibilities of media houses and journalists in preventing the spread of fake news, Murić said that, although disinformation evolves, the responsibility of the media has always been the same: "Honest journalism with respect for standards."
Nikočević adds that, although the media system has become much more susceptible to the spread of misinformation, the possibility of checking information is equally cheap and accessible.
"Checking the facts, clearly stating the sources of information, informing the public about the methods of identifying fake news, respect for basic professional standards and ethical principles, freedom of expression, while not infringing the rights of others, in a word, journalism with integrity and credibility, that is is a key response to the spread of misinformation and fake news", he said and added that "it is an obligation, not only of media houses and journalists, but also of all other social actors who are in charge of this area".
Media literacy lessons for all ages
In order to strengthen media literacy, AEM implements various campaigns, and many activities, says Nikočević, are based on the research "Media Literacy in Montenegro", which showed that among citizens (92 percent) there is almost absolute agreement that media literacy is of great importance.
"However, 62 percent of respondents rate the media literacy of Montenegrin citizens as poor, and the understanding of the Internet and social networks seems to be at an insufficient level," he said and added that in 2024, various activities were realized - performances and workshops, that after the versions in Montenegrin, Albanian and English, the manual "Media and Digital Literacy" was published and in the Romani language.
The comic book "Cyber with Cyber" was also presented, as well as a cartoon of the same name dedicated to strengthening media literacy among children. In addition to being broadcast on six different TV stations, that cartoon, adds Nikočević, is also available on the Agency's YouTube channel, as well as on the social networks of the Agency for Electronic Media and Media Literacy in Montenegro.
The campaign related to the media literacy of the elderly is being realized during the fall, and the plan is to publish a Manual on the Internet and social networks for the third age group. The manual will be accompanied by video tutorials for adults, with the aim of strengthening protection in the media and digital environment.
All materials related to media literacy can be found on the dedicated website www.medijskapismenost.me.
Catch up with the EU
Technology often enables the creation of fake news and information, but it can also be useful to identify similar content.
"There are tools that are easy to use, like reverse photo search, where users can determine when a photo was taken and put it in the right context. There is a Google fact-check database, where you can use keywords to find articles from all the world's fact-checkers in which disinformation is debunked. Also, there are sites like AI or not, where you insert a photo and they tell you if it was created with the help of artificial intelligence," says Murić.
Nikočević from AEM adds that "the new culture of communication has given rise to new ways of fighting fake news".
"Montenegro in this domain is following advanced practices at the EU level. The EU uses advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence to automatically recognize misinformation on social networks, through cooperation with large platforms," he said.
Cooperation with large platforms such as META, Google and X, he added, is made possible through the Digital Service Act (DSA).
"It is a regulation that is applied in EU member states, which Montenegro is not yet. In this context, Montenegro has more steps and challenges ahead of it, and we at the Agency believe that we must be much faster in the implementation of European acts and practices," said Nikočević.
Undefined self-regulatory mechanisms, social networks outside the law
The Montenegrin legislation provides a framework for the fight against fake news by defining the responsibility of the media, the right to reply, regulation of content, ethical guidelines for journalists, and education and raising awareness among citizens, says Nikočević.
"However, this is not enough, and a systemic response to the challenges that, unfortunately, have become a part of our everyday life, is necessary."
The importance of self-regulation and respect for professional standards in journalism are, he adds, of great importance.
"In addition to narrowing the space for the spread of fake news, it also increases the public's trust in the work of the media. The vagueness of the self-regulatory mechanisms in Montenegro represents a special challenge that requires additional efforts to be overcome," he said.
He reminds that in Montenegro there is no legal framework that regulates social networks, and that AEM is not competent in that part.
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