The current mass protests and student blockades have prompted pro-government media, especially tabloids, to “splash” the public in Serbia with a large amount of political disinformation, which includes intensified anti-Western narratives, say EWB interlocutors. The main motive for spreading pieces of fake news on a daily basis is an attempt to discredit critics of the government, particularly the individuals who are politically engaged, by labelling them as “foreign mercenaries”, while some of the EU officials are falsely accused of supporting the so-called “colour revolution” in Serbia.
Analysts believe that such disinformation campaigns encourage not only verbal but also physical attacks on participants of protests and blockades.
