"This report examines advertising spending and practices in Serbia and Bulgaria, two Balkan states at a critical junction between European democracy and authoritarianism. Analysis of advertising data shows that major global brands are spending hundreds of millions of euros on advertising with outlets in the Balkans that spread disinformation on topics including: Kremlin narratives linked to the invasion of Ukraine; malign government propaganda; attacks on civil society, independent media, and political opposition; and narratives undermining democratic values. Advertising serves as the leading source of revenue for media companies globally. In the Balkans, government control over the media is a growing issue and advertising revenues from global brands could offer a lifeline to independent outlets which do not receive government support. However, this report finds that current advertising practices often prioritise outlets that are highly sympathetic to the government spreading disinformation, exacerbating existing problems.
This report finds that this issue is particularly acute in Serbia, an EU accession candidate and, according to the European Parliament, the launchpad of Russian disinformation in the region. In 2022, 64% of advertising spending in the country came from global brands. This report shines a light on how commonplace disinformation is across the country’s mainstream media. Two of the most popular national Serbian TV stations – TV Pink and TV Happy – regularly propagate the unfounded claim that “Russia was forced” into conducting a “special military operation” in Ukraine and likened NATO to an “apocalyptic group of anti-Russian crusaders.” These stations collectively receive over half of the country’s total advertising expenditure.
In Bulgaria, an EU member state, disinformation narratives are found to be less common in broadcast media but widely spread online in digital media. This includes some of the country’s most popular news websites, which regularly promote pro-Kremlin disinformation, claiming that NATO is using Ukraine to fight Russia, that Bulgaria will be forced to join the conflict, and that Ukrainian refugees are exploiting host countries." (Executive summary, page 4)