Authors: Mija Ćorović, Anja Vučinić, Ajša Reković
This policy paper explores the vulnerability of youth to disinformation in Montenegro and the systemic challenges that weaken their resilience to online manipulation. While young people are among the most active internet users, the study shows that frequent exposure to online content does not necessarily translate into critical understanding or informed judgment. The digital environment, which is shaped by algorithms that reward sensationalism, polarization, and emotional content, makes youth especially susceptible to disinformation, particularly during electoral periods.
Using a desk-based analysis of national and international reports, the paper identifies the gaps in Montenegro’s media legislation and educational practice. It highlights that although disinformation is mentioned in the current Media Law, it remains undefined, creating ambiguity in regulation and enforcement.
The policy paper offers comprehensive recommendations to strengthen institutional, civil society, and individual capacities. It calls for the introduction of clear legal definitions of “disinformation” and “defamation,” the integration of media and digital literacy into the national curriculum, and the creation of a national platform for fact-checking and rapid content verification. It also urges civil society to organize interactive media labs and to establish a Young Media and Digital Literacy Ambassadors network to promote responsible digital citizenship, as well as urges young people to take an active stance in verifying the information they consume.
Read the full policy paper here.
Disclaimer: This policy brief is prepared by the youth research teams participating in the Youth Digital Democracy Accelerator Programme, conducted under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the Field of Youth Project: “Youth Participation in Digital Democracy: From Digital Skills to Digital Rights of Youth with Fewer Opportunities in the Western Balkans” (EYDR).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) or EYDR Partners. Neither the European Union, EACEA nor EYDR partners can be held responsible for them.
