On July 22nd, Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) published a piece of information in its main news broadcast and on its online page from the Bosnian-Herzegovinian media outlet “Slobodna Bosna,” alleging that the news outlet “Periskopi” is under the control of the former vice-president of the Serbian List and organizer of the terrorist attack in Banjska on September 24, 2023, Milan Radojčić. The article also claimed that the news outlet “Nacionalen” had supposedly received a million-dollar transaction from Serbia.

RTK published the article without verifying the facts and claims of the Bosnian media, failing to adhere to the professional standard that when mentioning a media outlet, it should be given said media the opportunity to clarify. Credible organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as “Raskrinkavanje,” which specializes in fact-checking, consider “Slobodna Bosna” to be a producer of disinformation and sensationalism, often relying on anonymous sources. However, in the second part of the article published by “Slobodna Bosna” on Wednesday, the identity of the source is revealed—a person known for spreading disinformation in Kosovo, the self-proclaimed journalist Vudi Xhymshiti. .

In the same article by “Slobodna Bosna,” the agreement between Serbia and Germany regarding lithium and the alleged control of Kosovar media by President Aleksandar Vučić were discussed. Although the article cited an anonymous source, RTK labeled it as an “investigative article” with the translated title: “The Big Secret of Vučić’s BIA: What the Serbian President is Hiding from Scholz.”

“In fact, after the ‘actions’ in Montenegro, the media attack in Kosovo is next, where, as revealed by our interlocutors from that country, the first target was the news portal Periskopi, which is under the direct control of the terrorist from Banjska, Milan Radojčić, and a million-dollar transaction for the Kosovar news portal Nacionale has recently been completed. This news portal, known for its critical writings about the Albin Kurti government, has made itself available to Vučić’s regime, causing anger among Kosovo Albanians”, is stated in the article initially broadcasted by RTK.

The initial version of RTK’s article mentioning “Nacionale” and “Periskopi”

After numerous reactions, RTK Pas reagimeve të shumta, RTK-ja e altered the content by removing the names of the media outlets, referring to them only as “portals.” The article was accompanied by a photo of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reading the newspaper “Slobodna Bosna.”

Accusations and Attacks from Ruling Party Figures 

The RTK article was shared by figures from the ruling party, who labeled the individuals involved as “criminals hiding behind the guise of journalism to serve Serbia!”

The Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, who was summoned for questioning at the Special Prosecutor’s Office regarding statements about the escape and subsequent killing of Faton Hajrizi in Serbia, mentioned that she also provided the Prosecutor’s Office with the news published by RTK.

“In this case, two news portals, Nacionale and Periskopi, are mentioned, which, according to the investigation, are said to be funded by Serbia, by the Serbian Government. I have also provided this news published by rtklive.com to the Prosecutor’s Office, as it is important to know which portals are financed by Serbia,” Haxhiu stated.

The publication of unverified articles and attacks from political figures accusing the media of being funded by Serbia have been condemned by the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK). AGK released several statementsfollowing the broadcast of the article. Minister Haxhiu’s statement was described as scandalous, an attack on the media, and interference with justice.

“AGK urges Ms. Haxhiu to refrain from making such statements and call on her party to stop the dangerous accusatory campaign against journalists,” the AGK’s response stated.

AGK’s reaction

According to AGK, campaigns like this seriously endanger the safety of journalists from these two media outlets. “Vetëvendosje and its deputies should be held responsible for inciting hatred and potential attacks against them.”

Journalists and Editors at RTK Distance Themselves from the Article

Journalists and editors at RTK have distanced themselves from the publication of the article, expressing regret over the situation.

While the RTK management has not provided an explanation, the Supervisory Board of the public broadcaster held an extraordinary meeting to address this article.

Sipas komunikatës, U.d drejtoresha ka informuar Bordin se do ta formojë një komision profesional për ta sqaruar situatën në detaje dhe për ta ndriçuar përgjegjësinë editoriale për këtë lëshim, “si dhe do të marrë masa rigoroze konform ligjit dhe akteve të brendshme të RTK-së”. 

“The Board expresses regret for the publication of an article where Kosovar media were mentioned in a Bosnian outlet, even though RTK did not mention them in any of its reports. This was emphasized by the editorial staff during the meeting,” stated the RTK Board. However, the names of the Kosovar media were not mentioned only in the introduction read by the moderator during the main news broadcast but were published in the initial version on the official website rtklive.com, before being later removed.

“Slobodna Bosna,” Known for Manipulative Practices

On Tuesday, the magazine “Slobodna Bosna” published the second part of the article, again mentioning the newspapers “Nacionale” and “Periskopi.” Just like in the previous text, no evidence was provided to support the claim of their control and funding by Serbia. The cited source is a piece by Vudi Xhymshiti, whom “Sbunker” had exposed as a spreader of disinformation through the “Frontliner” platform. In that context, high-ranking American officials involved in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue were accused without evidence. The second part of the “Slobodna Bosna” article was not broadcast by RTK in Kosovo.

The debunkings of “Slobodna Bosna” news reports

Darko Brkan from “Raskrinkavanje.ba” – a fact-checking platform – said for “kallxo.com” that “Slobodna Bosna,” despite having a long history and once being one of the most influential political magazines in Bosnia and Herzegovina, “has shown many manipulative practices since transitioning exclusively to an online medium, making its credibility questionable.”

“Over the years that Raskrinkavanje has been fact-checking media in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, we have evaluated around 200 articles from ‘Slobodna Bosna,’ placing them among the most frequently evaluated publishers on Raskrinkavanje. While the outlet may not be at the forefront of producing disinformation, it is not uncommon to see various forms of media manipulation in its writings,” said Brkan.

However, regarding the recent publications, he noted that they cannot be definitively commented on as they have not yet verified the claims made by “Slobodna Bosna.”

According to data from “Raskrinkavanje,” in 2024, “Slobodna Bosna” had 63 articles categorized as “disinformation,” 44 as “manipulation of facts,” and 15 as “fake news.”

*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”