From Skopje “to Russia with Love”!
Published in Reviews
on 18 - 12 - 2015 Author: Владимир Мирчески
[Review: While We Slobber at NATO’s Gates: Serbia Becomes the Most Powerful Military Force with Russian Weapons!]
The reviewed text indeed includes “slobbering”, as it claims, but it is directed towards Russia. The article looks like just another text resembling something that would be issued by a Cremlin spokesperson.
Link to original article: ДОДЕКА НИЕ СЕ ЛИГАВИМЕ ПРЕД ПОРТИТЕ НА НАТО: Србија станува најмоќна воена сила со најсофистицирано Руско вооружување! [While We Slobber at NATO’s Gates: Serbia Becomes the Most Powerful Military Force with Russian Weapons!].
Date and time of publishing: 07.12.2015
Peer review date: 09.12.2015
Reviewer: Vladimir Mircheski
An Open Bias
This text is a copy, which has not been noted within it, contrary to good journalistic practice.
The original text, published by a Serbian portal, has direct purpose – to persuade their domestic public that an eventual deal of the Belgrade authorities with Russia would provide Serbia with military supremacy among the countries in the region. In particular, advantage over Croatia, which is supposed to receive modern weapons from the U.S. army surplus.
The reviewed material–published in Macedonia–uses the headline to send a message that Serbia, unlike Macedonia, perseveres and does not beg for entry into NATO, and is therefore rewarded with Russian aid. The whole thesis is both twisted, and to a degree untrue.
Namely, while Serbia has not sought formal admission to the NATO so far, nevertheless has deepened and active cooperation on political level. Since 2006, Belgrade is a member of the Partnership for Peace, a NATO program that also includes Macedonia.
To conclude, it is untrue that Serbian government is against all things related to NATO, as this article suggests. The “game” between between great powers is active in the region, but it’s improper to use only a street-level criteria of “who’s slobbering, and who’s not” in a journalistic analysis of this issue. Such superficial approach is completely inappropriate when the weight of the issue.
Undoubtedly, the relation of NATO towards Macedonia is an issue that should be addressed through public debate and critique, however a media product about this subject should use formulations that are above the level of a casual chat in a local store.
Finally, the impression remains that the reviewed material burns with desire to promote the current Moscow policies, at the expense of the West. The article shows clear bias to the level of a political love letter “from Skopje to Russia with love!”
This review was created within the framework of the USAID Media Strengthening in Macedonia Project - Media Fact-Checking Service Component,, mplemented by Metamorphosis. The review is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Metamorphosis, USAID or the United States Government. For more information on the work of USAID in Macedonia please visit its website (http://macedonia.usaid.gov) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/USAIDMacedonia).
INFOGRAPHIC
TRUTHFULNESS
has facts
the accuracy of allegations cannot be determined
trustworthiness of allegations cannot be determined
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
sources are presented
official, anonymous
cannot be determined
one-sided
EXTENSIVENESS
non-extensive
information may have been concealed
BIAS
partially presenting the truth
spinning the truth
cannot be determined
biased
political bias
COMMENTING
comments included
integrated with the facts
PLAGIARISM
complete copy
author is not attributed
TITLE QUALITY
misinforms
non-creative
sensationalistic
inappropriate
tendentious
PHOTOGRAPH
has a photograph
appropriate
neither manipulating nor informing - serves as an illustration
author (source) is not attributed
HATE SPEECH
offensive speech
no hate speech
doesn't encourage violence
no discrimination
EDITED FOR THE WEB
medium readability
good multimedia elements
has no contextual links
not orderly
not connected with tags