Podgorica, (MINA) – Various forms of manipulation are present in the Montenegrin media regarding reporting on the international politics, defense and security, and in the last six months there is almost no online media outlet that did not post at least one media manipulation from the field of foreign policy.
That was stated in the press conference by the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) in which the conclusion of the media analysis have been presented, that was carried out by the team of Raskrinkavanje.me website during the last six months.
CDT representative Milica Bogdanovic said that the analysis showed that media manipulation form the foreign policy field are present in online media, and rarely in the printed and electronic media.
Bogdanovic explained that in six months the team analyzed at least 500 articles by around 200 national and regional media outlets.
According to her, words fake news and spin are often used in the public as synonyms for media manipulation, however, there are at least ten forms of media manipulations.
The reasons for publishing those manipulations in Montenegrin and regional media are numerous, said Bogdanovic, adding that the general impression is that one group of media outlets consciously publish media manipulations from ideological reasons and to advocate a certain system of values.
According to her, the impression is that the purpose of their existence is spreading hate and anti-democratic values.
Bogdanovic said that every fourth media manipulation is disinformation, which means that some media outlets often publish articles and headlines which are the mix of facts and false or partially true content.
“This form of manipulation is present in reporting on unsolved regional issues such as relations between Kosovo and Serbia, which is followed by constant spreading fear from forming of so called Greater Albania and hatred towards Albanian people which is create by right-wing oriented media outlets”, she argues.
She said that false news, as information that some media produced on their own and which contain false claims, are not a mass occurrence in Montenegro, regarding reporting on international relations.
She emphasized that, in order to change such a status, “reaction of the institutions, media community and civil sector is necessary”.
“The government must create politics for prevention of media manipulations and limiting their influence. The European parliament adopted early this year the Resolution that tackles unfriendly propaganda and responds to it and it can serve as a foundation of the Strategy for fight against spreading media manipulations in Montenegro”, Bogdanovic stated. Longer version of article is available on a link MINA ENGLISH SERVIS
