Countering disinformation in Kosovo: from classrooms to newsrooms

Efforts to strengthen resilience against disinformation in Kosovo are expanding through new partnerships in both the education and media sectors. Through the development and scaling of the Verifiko platform, Democracy for Development (D4D) is advancing its work beyond the initial scope of the initiative, reaching a broader audience and strengthening information integrity across society. Developed within the framework of the Support to civil society in Kosovo project, funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by LuxDev, the platform was originally designed as a pilot initiative to promote media literacy and critical thinking among young people.

A key milestone was reached with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between D4D and the Directorate of Education of the Municipality of Prishtina, enabling the wider use of the Verifiko platform in the capital’s schools.

The platform supports students in developing the skills needed to critically assess online information, identify false narratives, and responsibly navigate the digital information environment. It also encourages interaction between students, teachers and parents, fostering a culture of critical thinking within schools and communities.

Initially planned as a pilot activity in four schools across Kosovo, the initiative is now being substantially expanded through cooperation with the Municipality of Prishtina. This development allows the platform to reach a much larger number of schools and students, demonstrating its potential as a scalable model that could be replicated more widely across Kosovo’s education system.

Complementing its work in schools, D4D has also signed a memorandum of cooperation with media representatives aimed at strengthening collaboration in the promotion of accurate and responsible information.

The cooperation focuses on promoting digital education, combating misinformation and fake news, and supporting the initiatives of the Independent Media Commission to improve the quality of information in the media landscape.

By engaging media actors alongside schools, the initiative recognises that effectively combating disinformation requires action across multiple parts of society. Journalists, educators and civil society organisations each play a critical role in ensuring that citizens have access to accurate and trustworthy information.

These initiatives come at a time when disinformation is increasingly recognised as a challenge across Europe. Like many countries in the region, Kosovo faces growing exposure to misinformation circulating through online platforms and social media. Strengthening media literacy, supporting responsible journalism and empowering young people to critically assess information are therefore key steps in building a more resilient and informed society.

Compared with many European Union countries, Kosovo faces several specific vulnerabilities :

• lower overall levels of media literacy, particularly among younger audiences navigating online information spaces;
• a high reliance on social media as a primary source of news, where algorithms often prioritise sensational or polarising content;
• limited institutional mechanisms dedicated to fact-checking and information verification.

The expansion of the Verifiko platform illustrates how civil society initiatives can play an important role in addressing these challenges by working simultaneously with schools, media and public institutions.

The Support to civil society in Kosovo project aims to strengthen democratic participation and develop a strong and dynamic civil society in the country. It is funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.