Navigating Narratives: The Dynamics of Disinformation Exposure and Believability to Information in Kosovo

The circulation of disinformation within any society poses a threat to the notions of truth and fact and so undermines the principles of informed deliberation at the heart of democratic life (McKay & Tenove, 2021). Our paper explores the ability of citizens in a highly polarized environment where disinformation regularly circulates to explore what forms of disinformation are seen as believable, if there are socio-demographic explanations for belief in disinformation and how repeated exposure impacts the likelihood of believability. We explore these questions within the Kosovar society developing findings that may be widely applicable to understanding the dynamics of post-truth environments. Kosovo is an under-researched country, with a complex geopolitical context riven by ethnic tensions. Kosovar society in particular faces challenges post-conflict and the nation is seen as a flawed democracy due to the weak political institutions that remain only loosely embedded through its transition to being an independent democratic state (Cocozzelli, 2013). The sociopolitical challenges provide space for political polarization on ideological and identitarian grounds which can be fueled by communication from political elites who attempt to manipulate information for political ends (Qerimi & Gërguri, 2022). This paper explores how citizens navigate the complex post-truth environment in Kosovo within a period by examining key disinformation narratives that have been independently determined as false by fact-checkers and conducting a survey to analyze the exposure and believability of those narratives among a sample of Kosovo citizens (n=600). This work makes significant theoretical and practical contributions to the literature. With few exceptions, there is limited research on how citizens read disinformation narratives (Suau & Puertas-Graell, 2023), most research explores the spread of disinformation during (Chen et al., 2021; Benkler et al., 2020; Kennedy et al., 2023; Kazeem, 2018; Pierri et al., 2020) or major political or societal events (Khaldarova & Pantti, 2016; Hameleers et al., 2023; Qerimi & Gërguri, 2022; Perez-Escolar et al., 2023; Reddi, et al., 2023). This study builds on current research themes that examine the interaction between exposure to disinformation and citizens’ attitudes. We combine content analysis and experimental survey research with Kosovo citizens in order to explore the dynamics of believability and exposure. The findings reveal a complex landscape, where individuals, despite exhibiting low trust in news media, display varying degrees of belief in different narratives. Positive correlations emphasize that higher media trust amplifies belief, showcasing the influential role of trusted sources in shaping perceptions. The dominance of social media and digital platforms as primary channels for disinformation dissemination is underscored, signaling the evolving media landscape's impact. Exposure frequency consistently correlates with belief, affirming the robust influence of repeated narrative encounters. The intricate findings emphasize the necessity of enhancing media literacy and critical thinking skills to navigate the evolving information landscape effectively.