Disinformation in Southeast Europe in 2024: Combating Falsehoods amid a Complex Digital Age and Political Turmoil

Freepik

By: Maida Salkanović

Artificial intelligence, climate denial, and the politicization of social issues defined the disinformation landscape in Southeast Europe (SEE) in 2024. Fact-checkers across the region reflect on these trends, offering insights into the challenges they faced, their successes, and their outlook for 2025.

AI and the Rise of Digital Deception

A significant shift occurred in 2024 with the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) to produce and amplify falsehoods. AI-generated images, text, and deepfake videos were frequently used to craft convincing but false narratives. Public figures were often the target of such disinformation, with their voices and appearances misused to promote fraudulent schemes or dubious products.

Anja Vladisavljević from Croatia’s Faktograf observed that AI tools have been increasingly used to manipulate public perception. “We saw how public figures – actors, politicians, journalists, doctors, and other professionals – became victims of digital forgeries, especially deepfakes. Their faces and voices were exploited to sell dubious medical products or promote non-existent investment opportunities.”

In Serbia, Vesna Radojević from Raskrikavanje noted a surge of AI-generated disinformation: “This year, we noticed a lot more fake news and disinformation that surfaced thanks to AI technology. We encountered everything from fake photos and montages to entire articles written by AI tools.” 

Climate Change Denial and Environmental Narratives

Climate change denial and conspiracy theories surrounding environmental policies remained prominent in 2024.. 

“In 2024, we saw an increase in climate-related disinformation, often tied to extreme weather events. These narratives are becoming more complex, likely due to global trends that then ‘spill over’ into our region,” Rašid Krupalija of Bosnia’s Raskrinkavanje highlighted. 

The Politicization of Protests

Global events, like the Olympic games, the US elections, and consistent disinformation campaigns regarding the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, generated disinformation but to a lesser extent than local events. Social and political protests across the SEE region in 2024 became fertile ground for disinformation, particularly in Serbia, where the government often used false narratives to suppress dissent and bolster state-aligned interests.

“In Serbia, where we have a rather authoritarian government, facts are the greatest enemy,” said Vesna Radojević. “I expect even more pressure on journalists and even harsher repression in the future.” 

Protests against lithium mining in Serbia, for example, fueled a wave of fabricated stories in pro-government media. Serbian professor Dinko Gruhonjić faced nationalist backlash over misinterpreted remarks, which also provoked protests. The passing of the UN Resolution on Srebrenica was another catalyst for disinformation. 

“This year our biggest challenge was the sheer volume of significant events around which disinformation was generated. Events kept coming one after another, and we struggled to keep up with them all,” said Ivan Subotić from Fake News Tragač, adding that the readers submitted numerous reports asking the fact-checkers to confirm their veracity. 

“Considering that Tragač is a small newsroom with only a few journalists and one editor, it was challenging to keep up with all the events and respond to every reader inquiry,” explained Subotić. 

The year also saw numerous elections in the region – Bosnia held local elections, while Croatia held parliamentary, European, and presidential elections. . As expected, elections once again served as a hotbed for disinformation. The same is true for U.S. and European elections; disinformation got through easily to our region.

Fact-Checking Challenges

A notable obstacle for fact-checkers in 2024 was finding qualified experts willing to engage on critical topics, particularly in scientific fields.

“The hardest part of the job is securing relevant experts willing to provide informed and detailed answers to our questions,” said Ivan Nekić from Faktograf. “Without expert insight, it’s nearly impossible to determine whether something is false or true.” 

Experts often dismissed inquiries on viral disinformation as “too obvious” or “beneath discussion.” 

“For example, we encountered viral claims about tumors disappearing on their own or male deodorants containing female hormones. Many doctors dismissed these topics as ‘well-known facts’ or said they didn’t want to comment,” Nekić explained. To address these gaps, Faktograf sometimes reached out to international experts. For instance, when Croatian experts dismissed inquiries about stink bugs as too trivial to address, Faktograf reached out to an expert in Italy who, according to Nekić, “provided very detailed and professional answers to our inquiries.” This highlights the need for regional experts to take fact-checkers’ and journalist inquiries more seriously, as they are often tackling claims widely believed by the general public.

For Vesna Radojević of Raskrikavanje, a lack of responsiveness from institutions posed another significant challenge. “The unresponsiveness of institutions we reach out to for information is always one of the biggest problems – not just in the fact-checking world but in journalism in general,” she said.

Additionally, negative campaigns by pro-government media and accusations of being foreign agents or mercenaries added to the difficulties. “Such narratives lead to a large number of hateful comments on our social media platforms,” Radojević noted.

Achievements Amid Challenges

Despite the hurdles, 2024 was a year of significant accomplishments for SEE fact-checkers. Serbia’s Raskrikavanje expanded its presence on TikTok, reaching younger audiences with engaging and accessible fact-checking content.

One of their notable accomplishments in 2024 was their investigation into hidden algorithmic connections between pro-Russian portals and their exposé revealing that the Serbian Security and Intelligence Agency had spied on a journalist from southern Serbia by installing spyware on his phone. This story contributes to growing concerns in Serbia about the surveillance of activists and journalists.

Raskrinkavanje in Bosnia excelled in prebunking, proactively addressing potential disinformation before it spread. It also published three major analyses of Russian influence in the country. “These reports examined topics such as the replication of repressive patterns from Russia in Republika Srpska, opposition to the UN resolution on Srebrenica, and the propaganda ‘beautification’ of economic cooperation with Russia,” said Rašid Krupalija. 

Fake News Tragač earned the “Dragan Janjić” Media Literacy Award for their in-depth analysis of conspiracy narratives in Branimir Nestorović’s book. Branimir Nestorović is a Serbian doctor who rose to prominence during the coronavirus pandemic when he spread conspiracy theories. His movement recently achieved significant results in the Belgrade and parliamentary elections.

Faktograf launched a groundbreaking series, Beyond the Edge of Science, tackling pervasive conspiracy theories with scientific rigor. The series demystified persistent narratives, including chemtrails and HAARP, highlighting the power of methodical fact-checking. Faktograf team is particularly proud of their investigation into RefundFX, a questionable agency claiming to help victims of online trading scams recover their money. They contacted regulatory bodies, police, cybersecurity organizations in Croatia and Slovenia, as well as victims of the alleged scam. Despite RefundFX’s repeated attempts to discredit the article and have it removed, Faktograf stood by their findings, leading to the temporary takedown of the agency’s website.

The region also gained international recognition when Sarajevo hosted two major conferences – Global Fact 11 and Point 12. Hosted by Zašto ne, the organization behind Raskrinkavanje, these events solidified Sarajevo’s role as a hub for fact-checking and media literacy. “We hosted hundreds of fact-checkers, journalists, media professionals, civil society representatives, and other participants,” said Krupalija.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As 2025 approaches, fact-checkers in SEE are preparing for even more challenges, particularly the rise of AI-generated disinformation and increasing political instability.

“2025 doesn’t look promising, considering the global and regional developments. But it can always get worse, so we need to look for the ‘silver lining’ and choose our battles. Regarding disinformation, I expect climate denial to dominate again next year, along with an increased presence of AI-generated content. On the other hand, I believe we will also see new techniques and tools for analyzing such content,” said Raskrinkavanje’s Krupalija.

Fake News Tragač’s Subotić reflected on country-specific issues. 

“Serbia is currently in a specific political moment where student blockades and protests are provoking more frequent manipulations by pro-government tabloids, and we believe this trend will continue as long as the blockades and protests persist. For now, it seems there is no end to the blockades and protests in sight.”

Fact-checkers across Southeast Europe are facing increasingly complex challenges, from the rise of AI-generated disinformation to the politicization of social and environmental issues. In a region marked by political instability – especially in Serbia, where authoritarian tendencies and disinformation are often intertwined – the role of fact-checkers has never been more critical.. Despite the obstacles, fact-checkers remain committed to promoting accountability, media literacy, and factual reporting. With resilience and innovation, regional fact-checkers continue to push back against falsehoods, ensuring that the fight for the facts remains at the forefront as we head into 2025.

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