Podgorica, 30 November - Foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) increase polarisation, divide communities, and constitute a direct attack on democratic institutions and values. Fighting disinformation and FIMI is a complex process that requires a whole-of-society approach, and vibrant and autonomous civil society and independent journalism are some of the best antidotes to FIMI, was emphasised at the opening of the EU-Western Balkans Media Literacy Conference organised by the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa, said that the Western Balkans region is becoming increasingly vulnerable to foreign manipulation of information, which is why the combat against disinformation has become part of the latest European Commission’s enlargement package.

One of the conclusions of the first panel, titled "The $78 billion question: Building resilience against manipulation of information and foreign interference," was that most of the Western Balkans still deny the problem of disinformation in some way, that no one in the region can fight against disinformation alone and that EU assistance is required in this respect.

During the panel discussion, "Disclosing capture and concertation – Why ownership transparency matters" the Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) for the Western Balkans was officially launched. Representatives of the Global Media Registry (GMR) and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) from the countries in the region presented the online platform that features a public database of the most important media owners and their affiliated interests in the region, but also explores related topics like media concentration, state capture, and the limitations of regulation. Detailed results of this EU-funded research are available on their website.

Olivera Komar from Defacto Agency presented a study on the media habits of young people in Montenegro, showing empirically how disinformation amplifies already existing attitudes.

Panels about influence of artificial intelligence on the information environment and media literacy initiatives are happening in the second part of the conference.

The EU’s regional conference gathered the FIMI-fighting community from the Western Balkans in order to discuss major trends in the information environment and provide a platform for the EU and WB experts, practitioners, editors, and journalists to learn from each other and discuss how best to counter evolving FIMI challenges.