Author: prof. Mirjana Najcevska, PhD, an expert on the rule of law and human rights
One of the simplest ways to influence a wider number of people is to glorify a country. Positive glorification can evoke admiration, a sense of belonging and community, a sense of protection, an ever-present refuge, an alternative available to citizens and the state… This is especially possible in times of stunted development or unfulfilled expectations or dissatisfaction with speed with which things are moving, in this case, the accession negotiations with the EU, writes Truthmeter.mk.
Demonstrating the power of a state can refer to cultural, scientific or some other type of power, but it is most striking when it corresponds to the emphasis on military power. Exactly this segment of possible influence is interesting and catches the eye when analyzing the influence that Russia has in the Republic of North Macedonia.
In general, North Macedonia is not too exposed, nor is it under any visible and strong influence of Russia. Regular monitoring of the vulnerability of the country from this kind of influence by the think tank GLOBSEC from Bratislava shows that N. Macedonia is moderately vulnerable and that it has mechanisms that manage to deal with it.
Fascination with Russia’s power exists and is transmitted both through the formal media and, moreover, through social networks and websites, but it is difficult to quantify and measure.
This is influenced by several factors.
First, analytical and investigative journalism is not developed in the country, but rather, copying and republishing news/information/analysis from other, mostly foreign media is practised. Considering that even in this transmission the media from which the text is being republished are not quoted, and even less often links are given to the specific texts, one can only assume from which source certain news/information is taken according to its content.
Second, there is a tradition of listening/watching/reading media coming from the neighboring Republic of Serbia. It is very difficult to determine the extent of citizens’ exposure to these media (many of which are very positive and non-selective when it comes to transmitting information related to Russia and its military power). The situation is worsening with the purchase of some of the media in the Republic of North Macedonia by Serbian owners. If this is put in the context of the analyses that indicate the great influence of Russia in the Serbian media, a conclusion can be drawn about that influence in the Republic of North Macedonia as well.
Third, social networks are an important source of information that is difficult to quantify. Trust in media outlets whose source cannot be verified is significant and unequivocally dangerous. Precisely because of the most informal way of conveying information, views, opinions, it is not easy to assess the level of impact it has on a wider circle of people.
What can be deduced from the analysis of the media in the Republic of North Macedonia is that Russia’s military power is talked about in a way and in a quantity that can not be found in any other country. The one-sidedness of the information is emphasized by the fact that in the media there are no relevant measurements and data from which one can see the military power of individual countries/alliances.
This fascination (in the way it is portrayed in the media) may or may not correspond to factual data (given that very few articles point to relevant data or sources for certain claims). In any case, the media are not opposed to different sources of data.
In some articles, the absence of sources and relevant data is replaced by giving details of specific types of weapons and/or armaments that should create the impression of relevance and knowledge. For example, one such article is entitled “A Killer Carrier Will Make Russia a Powerful Hypersonic Force,” which provides a very detailed account of the “new” weapons being developed by Russia. Or “Russian S-350 anti-aircraft systems coming to Crimea soon,” “Kaliningrad Fortress: The Russian army is rapidly forming a powerful division to defend important enclaves.”
Some of the articles are structured in such a way that at first glance they seem to send a message of concern (from Russia’s military power), but in a number of such cases, the entire text radiates admiration.
Usually, Russia’s military power is not part of a broader or more in-depth analysis, the mention is often made out of context (related to an event – celebration, maneuver, statements by senior Russian government officials) and has no comparative elements or balanced representation of the military power of other states.
Even when the media refers to an expert or specific analyzes undertaken by other media, it is very rare to provide a link that would verify their original form. In any case, there is no balanced view or reference to different analyzes (some praising Russia’s power and its readiness to defeat the United States, and others claiming the opposite).
Source: Truthmeter.mk.
