The latest edition of the Media Literacy Index records some progress in Montenegro, but this progress is still not nearly enough in relation to the challenges facing society, said the Center for Civic Education (CCE).
Montenegro is ranked 26th in this year's report, in the third cluster that includes countries in transition.
CCE said that despite formal progress on the rankings, Montenegro remains in the group of countries with limited resilience to disinformation.
This, as stated by the CCE, indicates profound weaknesses in the areas of education, media freedoms and social trust.
The Media Literacy Index, published by the Open Society Foundations, is calculated by combining the quality of education, the level of media freedom, trust between people, and e-participation, or citizen participation in the digital sphere.
As an instrument that measures the ability of societies to resist disinformation, so-called "post-truth" narratives and information manipulation, this index, as stated, reflects the pronounced geopolitical and development divide in Europe.
CCE stated that the leading position in this year's report is shared by Denmark, Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands, with 71 out of a maximum of 100 points each.
"Which confirms the strength of their education systems and high levels of media freedom. In contrast, the Western Balkan countries remain in the lower part of the ranking, reflecting long-standing challenges in key segments of this index," the statement added.
As stated, Croatia is the best ranked country in the neighborhood, ranking 24th with 47 points.
Montenegro is ranked 26th in this year's report with 44 points. Serbia is in 32nd place with 35 points, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is in 37th with 24 points, Albania and North Macedonia share 39th and 40th places with 19 points each, while Kosovo is ranked last with 16 points.
Montenegro, it is added, is in the third cluster of countries, while Serbia is in the fourth - both categories include countries in transition, for which there is a possibility of both progress and regression.
It is added that BiH, Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo are classified in the fifth cluster, which is marked as the most vulnerable to disinformation.
"It is emphasized that these countries are particularly exposed to risks because they are not members of the European Union (EU), which deprives them of certain institutional protection mechanisms, but also makes them more vulnerable to external influences, including the actions of China and Russia, which are trying to accumulate influence in the region directly surrounding the EU's borders," the statement said.
CCE stated that, compared to the previous measurement from 2023, while other countries in the region have dropped by one position, Montenegro has recorded progress - from 33rd to 26th position, which is its best result since the beginning of the measurement.
As it is added, the first measurement was carried out in 2017 and it ranked 31st, out of a total of 35 that were included at the time.
"However, despite the increase in the number of points (from 29 to 44), this shift is not sufficient to significantly approach the European average, nor the most developed societies in this area," CCE pointed out.
They stated that a marked gap remains between Montenegro and the most resilient European societies, both in terms of media freedom and in the capacity of citizens to critically analyze information and recognize disinformation.
"Viewed in a broader regional context, it is clear that the Western Balkan countries share similar challenges - poor quality of education, limited media freedoms and low levels of social trust," said the CCE.
As they added, such a situation indicates a systemic problem, since media literacy is an important indicator of the quality of democracy.
"Low levels of media literacy increase society's vulnerability to disinformation campaigns, deepen polarization and weaken citizens' resilience to manipulative content," the statement added.
CCE said that in a time when digital platforms and complex information ecosystems shape public space, media literacy is becoming one of the key pillars of democratic resilience.
"Therefore, for societies aspiring to European standards of democratic governance, this represents a serious warning and requires strategic investment in media and digital education, strengthening independent and professional media, and restoring citizens' trust in reliable sources of information," the statement concludes.
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