Disinformation and narrative control

Public discourse in Serbia is systematically shaped through aligned media, coordinated messaging, and the amplification of narratives that serve the ruling majority. CRTA's monitoring of RTS's flagship evening news program found President Vučić consistently portrayed in affirmative or neutral terms, while opposition parties and protest movements were minimized, framed as threats, or denied their own voice entirely. The term "color revolution" appeared over 10,000 times across ten online portals in ten months, as part of a coordinated effort to delegitimize civic mobilization. This section documents the key disinformation campaigns and narrative patterns shaping the information environment in Serbia.

Media monitoring report: January-June 2026

July

On 14 June 2026, CRTA concluded a media monitoring cycle running since 1 January. Across 8,197 mentions of foreign actors, the analysis found the European Union portrayed overwhelmingly negatively (84 percent), while China (99 percent) and Russia (88 percent) were reported almost entirely positively. Anti-EU narratives made up 40 percent of all recorded manipulations about foreign actors, with domestic media identified as the most frequent source of manipulative content.

In June 2026, CRTA recorded 162 manipulations on the front pages of print media and in the headlines of central news broadcasts. The dominant narratives were vilifying opponents (81 manipulations) - built around the "sound cannon" affair and the Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God to target students and protesters, increasingly paired with the glorification of President Vučić - and vilifying neighbours (49), focused on Montenegro around the EU summit in Tivat and on Kosovo during its election campaign. In the same month, 444 television channels carried President Vučić's 36 public addresses.

June

In May 2026, CRTA recorded 134 manipulations on the front pages of print media and in the headlines of central news broadcasts across two active narrative categories. Vilifying opponents was the dominant pattern, with 71 manipulations targeting students and rector Vladan Đokić. Vilifying neighbours accounted for 34 manipulations, focused on Kosovo elections, Montenegro's independence anniversary, and Croatia.

Heatmap of Vučić media appearances 2023 to 2025. Peak reached in Feb-Mar 2025

Update

Media map of the world tailored to those in power: China and Russia positive, EU negative, Trump the...

CRTA's monitoring for the first half of 2026 finds television reporting on foreign actors sharply skewed - the EU portrayed as an adversary while China and Russia receive near-uniformly positive coverage.

Update

June manipulations

In June, CRTA recorded 162 manipulations on the front pages of print media and in the headlines of central news broadcasts. The dominant narratives were, again, vilifying opponents and vilifying neighbours.

Update

May manipulations

In May, CRTA recorded 134 manipulations on the front pages of print media and in the headlines of central news broadcasts. The dominant narratives were, again, vilifying opponents and vilifying neighbours.

Update

April manipulations

In April, CRTA recorded 170 manipulations. The dominant narrative was vilifying opponents, with 96 manipulations, followed by vilifying neighbours with 30.

Update

March manipulations

In March, CRTA recorded 121 manipulations. The dominant narratives were vilifying opponents and vilifying neighbours.

Update

February manipulations

In February 2026, CRTA recorded 144 manipulations on the front pages of pro-government print media and in the headlines of central news broadcasts on five national television channels. The dominant narrative targeted domestic opponents of the government, primarily student protesters, while a significant number of manipulations portrayed neighboring countries as threats to Serbia.

Update

January manipulations

In January, CRTA recorded 111 manipulations on the front pages of print media and in the headlines of central news broadcasts. The dominant narratives were vilifying opponents, vilifying neighbours and vilifying the EU.

Update

Media monitoring reveals: Systemic growth of anti-Western content alongside Vučić’s dominance in liv...

Throughout 2025, Serbian media consistently and systematically cultivated anti-Western narratives.

Update

Conflict-driven coverage paints the EP delegation as hostile, not a partner

As the arrival of the European Parliament fact-finding mission to Belgrade (22–24 January) approached, the domestic public scene - from the officials to pro-government media - treated it less as an official mission and more as an “incursion” and a political provocation. The discourse was dominated by insults, delegitimisation, and openly hostile rhetoric toward MEPs, especially the EP rapporteur f...

CRTA.Plus is part of CRTA’s work to document developments related to democracy, the rule of law, and accountability in Serbia.

Key Issues

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Slučajevi

Disinformation and narrative control

The EU cast as adversary, China and Russia praised – CRTA’s monitoring reveals sharply biased coverage of foreign actors.

CRTA recorded 162 media manipulations in June, dominated by narratives vilifying opponents and neighbours.

In May 2026, CRTA recorded 134 manipulations on the front pages of print media and in the headlines of central news broadcasts, with vilifying opponents as the dominant narrative.

Media map of the world tailored to those in power: China and Russia positive, EU negative, Trump the...

June manipulations

May manipulations

April manipulations

March manipulations

February manipulations

January manipulations

Media monitoring reveals: Systemic growth of anti-Western content alongside Vučić’s dominance in liv...

Conflict-driven coverage paints the EP delegation as hostile, not a partner