About CIVIL Today

CIVIL Today is the English-language media platform of CIVIL – Center for Freedom, developed and operated within its media and publishing unit, CIVIL MEDIA. It is dedicated to independent journalism, analysis, and public-interest reporting with a particular focus on disinformation, propaganda, hybrid threats, and authoritarian influence, as well as on democracy, human rights, media freedom, and freedom of expression.

The platform publishes original reporting, expert analysis, commentary, interviews, and multimedia content addressing political, social, technological, and geopolitical developments in Europe, the Western Balkans, and beyond. CIVIL Today serves as a bridge between local and regional realities and international policy, academic, and civil society debates, providing context-rich, evidence-based perspectives for an international audience.

A core editorial priority of CIVIL Today is the systematic coverage and analysis of disinformation campaigns, information manipulation, far-right and authoritarian narratives, and hybrid operations targeting democratic societies. The platform also places strong emphasis on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and on the broader patterns of foreign interference and coercive influence that accompany it.

CIVIL Today prominently covers the role of technology — in particular artificial intelligence — in politics, media, warfare, and society. It examines how AI is reshaping information ecosystems, propaganda, surveillance, and power relations, and what this means for democracy, rights, and public trust.

At the same time, CIVIL Today serves as a platform for dialogue among journalists, researchers, policymakers, and civil society actors, offering space for informed exchange and amplifying credible, independent voices across borders.

CIVIL Today is committed to editorial independence, factual accuracy, and ethical journalism. It seeks to contribute to informed public debate, democratic accountability, and societal resilience by exposing manipulation and propaganda, strengthening media literacy, and supporting open, pluralistic, and democratic societies.

About CIVIL MEDIA

CIVIL MEDIA is the media and publishing platform of CIVIL – Center for Freedom, a human rights and democracy-focused civil society organization established in 1999. Registered as an organizational unit in 2009, CIVIL MEDIA was created to strengthen independent journalism, protect freedom of expression, and contribute to the development of a free, professional, and responsible media environment.

CIVIL MEDIA operates as a multilingual, nonprofit news and media production platform, publishing original journalism, analysis, commentary, and multimedia content across multiple languages and formats. Its work focuses on public-interest reporting, democratic accountability, human rights, media freedom, and the protection of civic space, with particular attention to disinformation, authoritarian influence, and hybrid threats.

In addition to publishing, CIVIL MEDIA is actively engaged in training, capacity building, and professional development for journalists, editors, and media practitioners. Through workshops, mentoring, international cooperation, and partnerships with civil society and media organizations, it supports the growth of independent media and strengthens resilience against censorship, political pressure, disinformation, and other threats to free and ethical journalism.

CIVIL MEDIA’s mission is to contribute to an informed public, to safeguard freedom of expression and media freedom, and to support democratic values by enabling independent, responsible, and courageous journalism.

CIVIL MEDIA internet portals

 

 

About CIVIL

CIVIL – Center for Freedom is an independent, non-profit civil society organization dedicated to defending democracy, protecting human rights and freedoms, and strengthening democratic resilience in the face of authoritarianism, disinformation, and hybrid threats.

Founded in 1999 and developed through more than 26 years of continuous work, CIVIL has evolved from a national human rights organization into a regional and international actor working at the intersection of democracy protection, election integrity, media freedom, freedom of expression, and countering disinformation and foreign interference.

A core part of CIVIL’s work focuses on analysing, exposing, and countering disinformation, far-right propaganda, authoritarian narratives, and hybrid operations originating from authoritarian centres of power at the global and regional levels. CIVIL has developed and applies original monitoring, analytical, and reporting methodologies, combining media and narrative analysis, open-source intelligence, field monitoring, and cross-platform tracking with long-term contextual research. These are complemented by comprehensive approaches to civic awareness, media literacy, and public education designed to strengthen societal resilience against manipulation and polarisation.

CIVIL is openly and actively committed to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the organization has taken a clear public stance in defence of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democratic future, and against war crimes, propaganda, and attempts to relativise or legitimise aggression. In a region where ambiguity and false neutrality are widespread, CIVIL’s position has been consistent, visible, and principled.

CIVIL works across four closely connected areas: defending democratic institutions and values; ensuring the integrity of elections and public accountability; protecting media freedom and freedom of expression; and countering disinformation, propaganda, and hybrid threats. The organization integrates monitoring, investigative and analytical work, media production, public communication, policy engagement, civic education, and international cooperation into a single, coherent practice.

CIVIL operates at the national, regional, and international levels and cooperates with partners across Europe and beyond, including civil society organisations, independent media, academic institutions, and democratic policy networks. CIVIL is a co-founder of the Defending Democracy Global Initiative (DDGI) and an active participant in transnational efforts to strengthen democratic resilience, counter authoritarian influence, and support societies under pressure.

In practice, CIVIL represents a rare integrated model in which active citizenship, think-tank capacity, and independent media function within one organisational structure. This allows the organisation to connect research with real-time monitoring, analysis with public communication, and policy work with citizen engagement — and to respond quickly, credibly, and independently to emerging risks to democracy.

Rooted in human rights and freedoms, CIVIL’s mission today is to protect the democratic space itself — the institutions, the information environment, public trust, and civic capacities without which rights cannot be exercised and freedoms cannot survive. Through its work, CIVIL seeks to contribute to informed public debate, accountable governance, and a democratic culture resilient enough to withstand manipulation, coercion, and authoritarian pressure.

 

 

CIVIL MEDIA: Editorial policy and code of ethics

Independent journalism. Professional integrity. Public accountability.

CIVIL MEDIA is an independent, multilingual, nonprofit media platform established in 2009 as an organisational unit of CIVIL – Center for Freedom, a civil society organisation founded in 1999 in North Macedonia.

CIVIL MEDIA produces and publishes news, investigations, analysis, commentary, interviews, and multimedia journalism in Macedonian, Albanian, and English. Its editorial work is guided by the public interest, factual accuracy, professional ethics, human rights, democratic values, and freedom of expression.

This document presents the editorial principles and professional standards that guide CIVIL MEDIA’s journalism and its relationships with contributors, sources, audiences, and the wider public.

  1. Editorial independence

CIVIL MEDIA exercises editorial independence in determining its coverage, editorial priorities, assessments, and published content.

Editorial decisions must not be dictated by political parties, governments, public institutions, corporate interests, advertisers, donors, or other external actors.

As a media platform operating within CIVIL – Center for Freedom, CIVIL MEDIA shares the organisation’s commitment to human rights, democracy, just and sustainable peace, equality, and freedom. These values do not diminish its responsibility to report accurately, independently, and critically.

CIVIL MEDIA’s editorial policy firmly rejects value-neutrality, political convenience, and false equivalence between documented facts and demonstrably false claims. CIVIL MEDIA’s editorial independence is grounded in objectivity, intellectual honesty, rigorous verification of facts, and a commitment to understanding and explaining their broader political, social, and historical contexts.

CIVIL MEDIA clearly distinguishes between institutional communications, independent news reporting, analysis, commentary, and opinion.

  1. Accuracy, verification, and responsible sourcing

Accuracy is a fundamental obligation of every journalist, editor, and contributor.

CIVIL MEDIA is committed to:

  • Verifying information through reliable and relevant sources;
  • Distinguishing confirmed facts from allegations, interpretations, estimates, and speculation;
  • Identifying sources and providing relevant attribution;
  • Protecting confidential sources when justified by the public interest and professional obligations;
  • Avoiding misleading headlines, selective quotations, manipulated context, and deceptive presentation of information;
  • Correcting significant factual errors transparently and without unnecessary delay.

When information cannot be independently verified, its limitations and degree of uncertainty must be communicated clearly.

The speed of publication must never take precedence over factual accuracy.

  1. News, analysis, commentary, and opinion

CIVIL MEDIA recognises news reporting, investigation, analysis, commentary, and opinion as distinct forms of journalistic expression.

News reporting is based on verified information and professional standards of accuracy and fairness.

Analysis provides context, interpretation, and evidence-based assessments of events, policies, and developments.

Commentary and opinion allow authors to express critical perspectives, arguments, and positions, including strong criticism of governments, institutions, political actors, and other centres of power.

The right to express an opinion does not exempt authors from responsibility for factual accuracy, ethical conduct, or respect for human dignity.

Editorial categories, headlines, authorship, and presentation should enable audiences to distinguish factual reporting from interpretation and opinion.

Views expressed by external authors do not necessarily represent the institutional positions of CIVIL – Center for Freedom or CIVIL MEDIA. Authors remain responsible for their views and assessments, subject to the editorial responsibility of the publisher.

  1. Human rights, dignity, and non-discrimination

CIVIL MEDIA is firmly committed to defending human dignity, equality, fundamental freedoms, and the rights of all individuals and communities. It unequivocally rejects discrimination, dehumanisation, hate speech, and the incitement of hatred or violence on the grounds of ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political opinion, or any other personal characteristic or status.

Special care is exercised when reporting on children, survivors of violence, vulnerable individuals, and people exposed to persecution, intimidation, or trauma.

CIVIL MEDIA supports pluralism and open public debate while recognising that freedom of expression carries professional and ethical responsibilities.

  1. Accountability, right of reply, and corrections

CIVIL MEDIA is accountable to its audiences and to the professional standards of journalism.

Individuals and institutions subject to serious allegations should, where appropriate and practicable, be given a fair opportunity to respond.

Responses, denials, and corrections must be assessed according to their relevance, factual substance, and the public interest.

When significant factual errors are identified, CIVIL MEDIA is committed to correcting them promptly and visibly. Material corrections and updates should be clearly indicated.

The newsroom considers legitimate complaints, requests for correction, and concerns about its reporting through established editorial channels.

  1. Transparency, conflicts of interest, and financial independence

CIVIL MEDIA maintains transparency concerning its publisher, editorial leadership, organisational identity, and relevant institutional relationships.

Journalists, editors, and contributors must avoid conflicts of interest that may compromise their professional independence or credibility.

Gifts, financial benefits, personal interests, and other arrangements that could improperly influence journalistic work are incompatible with professional integrity.

Advertising, sponsored content, and other commercial material must be clearly distinguishable from independent editorial content.

Donors, commercial partners, and project supporters do not acquire the right to determine editorial conclusions, suppress reporting, or influence journalistic assessments.

  1. Investigative journalism and public-interest reporting

CIVIL MEDIA considers independent scrutiny of power an essential democratic function. Its editorial priorities include rigorous, objective, and evidence-based monitoring, investigation, and reporting on democratic governance, corruption, abuse of power, electoral integrity, human rights violations, disinformation, media freedom, security, and developments affecting peace and democratic resilience.

Investigations must be grounded in documented evidence, responsible methods, and fair treatment of relevant information.

The public-interest justification for investigative reporting must be weighed against privacy, safety, and the potential consequences of publication.

Journalistic criticism may be firm, uncompromising, and sharply argued, but it must not depend on fabricated evidence, deliberate distortion, or personal harassment.

  1. Disinformation, propaganda, and information integrity

CIVIL MEDIA is committed to identifying, investigating, and exposing disinformation, propaganda, coordinated manipulation, and other threats to information integrity.

This includes foreign information manipulation and interference, deceptive political communication, hate speech, and hybrid threats affecting democratic institutions and public trust.

Coverage of disinformation must be based on verifiable evidence and clearly distinguish documented findings from analytical assessments.

Where possible, the newsroom examines the origin, dissemination, techniques, and effects of manipulative narratives.

The reporting of false claims must avoid unnecessarily amplifying them or creating misleading equivalence between evidence-based information and deliberate falsehoods.

  1. Responsible use of artificial intelligence

CIVIL MEDIA recognises artificial intelligence as an increasingly important tool in journalism, research, multilingual publishing, media monitoring, and digital production.

AI-assisted tools may support research, translation, transcription, data processing, analysis, visualisation, and editorial workflows, subject to appropriate human supervision.

The following principles apply:

  • Human editors retain responsibility for published journalistic content;
  • AI-generated claims, quotations, figures, and factual information must not be treated as verified sources;
  • AI must not be used to fabricate evidence, impersonate real sources, or deliberately mislead audiences;
  • Published synthetic or substantially AI-generated material must be appropriately identified when its nature could affect audience understanding;
  • AI-assisted translations, analysis, and editorial materials remain subject to professional review;
  • Confidential sources, unpublished sensitive information, and personal data must be protected when using external digital tools.

CIVIL MEDIA supports responsible technological innovation while maintaining human editorial judgment, transparency, and accountability.

  1. Digital security and protection of sources

Digital security is an essential component of independent journalism. CIVIL MEDIA recognises the importance of protecting its websites, digital infrastructure, editorial communications, confidential sources, personal information, and unpublished materials.

Cybersecurity, secure communications, responsible data handling, and professional protection measures are integral to its operational responsibilities.

Security concerns must be considered when dealing with sensitive investigations, vulnerable sources, and information that could expose individuals to retaliation or harm.

  1. Professional conduct, authorship, and intellectual property

CIVIL MEDIA respects the professional rights, responsibilities, and intellectual contributions of journalists, editors, photographers, translators, analysts, and other contributors.

Plagiarism, fabrication, deliberate misrepresentation, and unauthorised use of protected material are strictly prohibited.

Original sources, external reporting, photographs, data, and other materials must be properly credited, subject to applicable legal and professional requirements.

Reproduction, adaptation, translation, and syndication of journalistic content must respect authorship, licensing arrangements, and intellectual property rights.

These principles apply to staff, freelance contributors, and external authors whose work is accepted for publication.

  1. Professional self-regulation and public accountability

CIVIL MEDIA adheres to the professional and ethical principles of journalism and recognises the importance of independent media self-regulation.

CIVIL MEDIA’s editorial policy is grounded in internationally recognised principles of freedom of expression, human rights, and professional journalism, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists adopted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Through its publisher, CIVIL – Center for Freedom, CIVIL MEDIA actively participates in international cooperation aimed at strengthening independent journalism, media freedom, information integrity, and democratic resilience.

CIVIL is a co-founder of the Defending Democracy Global Initiative (DDGI) and maintains long-standing cooperation with Media Dialogue and the European Youth4Media Network in Germany. These partnerships support international journalistic exchange, joint media production, professional development, and collaborative efforts to counter disinformation, propaganda, and hybrid threats.

At the national level, CIVIL MEDIA is a member of the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (SEMM/CMEM) and adheres to the Code of Journalists of North Macedonia, including its updated provisions concerning digital journalism and artificial intelligence.

CIVIL MEDIA supports professional accountability, legitimate public scrutiny, constructive criticism, and mechanisms for addressing violations of journalistic standards.

Its editorial policies are subject to periodic review in response to professional developments, technological changes, emerging threats, and the needs of the public.

Our commitment

CIVIL MEDIA exists to serve the public interest—not governments, political parties, donors, commercial interests, or centres of power.

We believe that journalism must be independent without being indifferent, critical without being irresponsible, and committed to democratic values without compromising truth and factual accuracy.

Our responsibility is to inform, investigate, question, explain, and hold power accountable.

Truth matters. Democracy depends on it.

Publisher: CIVIL – Center for Freedom / CIVIL MEDIA
Editorial contact: info@civil.mk