Belgrade’s tabloid Večernje novosti , followed by several other Serbian portals, published on Tuesday evening a story under the headline: “Kurti Increases Pressure on Serbs: Pristina Preparing New Provocations…”. While the title suggests a verified fact, the claim is based solely on the opinion of a single commentator.
The report discusses the political atmosphere on Kosovo ahead of yet another round of extraordinary parliamentary elections, scheduled for 28 December — the fourth electoral process this year.
The article relies on unnamed “sources” who argue that the current government in Pristina will repeat alleged patterns from previous election cycles – namely, pressure on Kosovo Serbs and the Serbian List. According to Novosti, these “sources” claim that Serbs “will welcome the New Year under increased pressure, provocations, and violence,” as Kosovo heads to polls once again after ten months without a functioning government.
Citing the same unnamed individuals, the portal further asserts that the election date allegedly serves Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who – they claim – expects holiday-season timing to allow “manipulations” in the electoral process to go unnoticed by EU institutions on winter recess.
The article refers to the EU’s earlier reaction to the newly announced elections: Brussels expressed regret that Kosovo’s political crisis had not been resolved and reiterated that Pristina should focus on dialogue with Belgrade. According to Novosti outlet, the EU thus stressed that the upcoming elections must meet high standards and ensure equal participation.
The same media faults the EU for not criticizing Kurti for remaining in office nearly a year after the February elections.
The portal repeats long-standing accusations that Kurti allegedly engaged in “electoral engineering” by enabling Nenad Rašić, who won about 4,000 votes, to take one of the guaranteed seats for the Serb community – a move Kurti’s critics routinely describe as illegitimate. They also claim he “installed” Rašić as deputy speaker of the Assembly, despite the Serbian List having secured nine of the ten guaranteed Serb seats.
Opinion Presented as Fact
Only later in the text does Novosti introduce its source: historian and analyst Srđan Graovac.
Graovac asserts that “new provocations and attacks can be expected,” claiming that Kurti intensifies pressure on Serbs during campaigns to mobilize Albanian voters in what he describes as a “deeply radicalized” society.
Graovac also argues that the 28 December date benefits Kurti due to the expected arrival of diaspora voters for the holiday season — a demographic that generally favors Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement (Vetevendosje).
A Misleading Headline
The key problem lies in the headline: “Kurti Increases Pressure on Serbs… Pristina Preparing New Manipulations and Provocations.”
No evidence presented in the text supports the assertion that Pristina is “preparing provocations.” The claim is solely Graovac’s opinion, not a verified fact. No documents, official statements, or concrete incidents are cited.
In professional journalism, headlines reflecting commentary must clearly indicate this — for example: “Analyst Claims…”, “Sources Suggest…”, or “Experts Warn of Possible…”. In this case, the headline is written as though it conveys an established fact, misleading readers.
Amplification Through Sensationalism
The article also employs sensationalist language — phrases such as “tightening the noose,” “violence of Pristina,” “crude electoral engineering,” and “installed Rašić” — which contributes to an atmosphere of alarm and reinforces an emotionally charged narrative.
To make matters worse, major Serbian tabloids Alo and Informer, as well as the portal Srbija info, republished the story with the same headline, without contextualising or checking the underlying claims.
Whether intentional or not, this further amplified an unverified and misleading narrative.
The result: a media echo chamber that multiplies a claim based solely on commentary — not evidence.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
