A large number of news reports in the media in the Western Balkans are unsourced leaving room to create false news, the CRTA NGO said in its regional media report covering the May 14-June 10 2018 period.

More than a third of media reports in Serbia on international affairs, the European Union, the US and Russia do not have a source and that makes room for possible disinformation, CRTA warned.  

CRTA, an NGO advocating accountability, transparency, integrity and participation in society, is the founder of Istinomer (Truth-O-Meter), the first fact-checking web portal in the region.  

Macedonian media had the most reports, 43 percent, quoting unnamed sources the report said and added that the media in Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina have a significantly lower percentage.  

Between 19 and 25 percent of reports on the EU were neutral or intentionally positive in Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro. Serbian media had 27 percent of neutral media reports on the EU with 15 percent positive reporting and 14 percent positive in reporting on Russia.  

CRTA Director Vukosava Crnjanski said journalists have to check their information not just pass it on in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and false news. “Reports have to be read and their sources checked before publication on social networks,” she added.