Metamorphosis, Foundation for Internet and Society is a Global Voices content partner from Skopje, North Macedonia. It works on strengthening the awareness and capacity of citizens and civil society to assume their fullest possible role as activists for democracy, while supporting media and governments to fulfill their democratic role in serving society.
It runs two online media outlets: Meta.mk News Agency operating in Macedonian and English, and Albanian language news portal Portalb.mk, as well as the watchdog initiatives Truthmeter.mk, the Media Fact-Checking Service and the Critical Thinking for Mediawise Citizens – CriThink project.
Metamorphosis is a member of the international networks IFEX; EDRI, APC, ACTION-SEE, TechSoup, TransparenCEE, COMMUNIA and Creative Commons Europe – lead for North Macedonia.
Latest posts by Metamorphosis Foundation
Can the media be trusted again? Journalist and human rights defender Aidan White reveals the path to redemption
To rebuild trust, media organizations must adhere to ethical journalism principles, maintain transparency about their ownership and practices, and engage meaningfully with the public, says Aidan White.
Women in public positions in North Macedonia are easy targets of hate speech
Despite visible progress in the fight for women’s rights, increased representation in politics and greater attention to issues affecting women, the tendency to express contempt and insult them persists.
Fact-checkers condemn physical attack against journalist of Croatian fact-checking service Faktograf
Fact-checking and journalist associations condemned of the attack against the ward-winning journalist Melita Vrsaljko, who covers climate issues for Croatian fact-checking service Faktograf that took place on July 16 near Zadar.
North Macedonia journalists protest court order for enabling censorship
"No one can silence us or prevent us from raising our voice or publishing the truth that is important for the citizens."
Youth in the Balkans should be able to recognize disinformation with malign intent, Slovenian expert says
"We need to be able to communicate with the youth as effectively and as attractively as the adversaries are doing," said Petra Balažič, project manager at the Centеr of European Perspectives from Slovenia.
Suspectibility to conspiracy theories makes Western Balkans easy target for Russian disinformation, geopolitical analyst says
Although at first glance publishing disinformation seems accidental and sporadic, the occurrence is not at all random, but part of military doctrines of autocratic regimes intent of spreading geopolitical influence.
Serbian ruling party troll farm leak revealed identities of over 14,500 ‘bots’
Vidaković stated that he paid EUR 15,000 (approximately USD 16,540) for the list, with money collected from the Serbian diaspora.
Disinformation fuels church protest against gender equality in North Macedonia
The iconography of June 29 protest, organized by Macedonian Orthodox Church and right-wing political parties, included religious and nationalist symbols, Russian flags and participation by pro-Kremlin politicians and associations.
Journalists from Serbian KRIK convicted for criticizing SLAPP suits against newsroom
"The judgement clearly indicates that SLAPP lawsuits have become the main tool of the regime for closing down the few independent media left," stated Stevan Dojčinović, editor-in-chief of the Serbian investigative outlet KRIK.
Fake Russian fact-checkers spread propaganda about the war in Ukraine
PolitiFact analyzed this website and found its fact-checks that use well-known techniques of Russian propaganda — incoherence, a large number of claims, repetition of statements on obvious untruths — to confuse the public.
Interview with Romanian anti-disinformation activist reveals disinformation campaigns often target refugees from Ukraine
The position of Romania regarding the war in Ukraine remains in line with the EU and NATO, despite pro-Russian destabilizing efforts. However, at general level, disinformation had become part of political discourse.
The construction of the 5G network brings the demise of the Chinese domination in North Macedonia’s telecommunications
Despite the real concerns around privacy and espionage, and the often debunked viral concerns around 5G and health, the installation of a 5G network in North Macedonia continues without problems — for now.
European Parliament’s Report on Pegasus spyware indicates involvement of North Macedonia companies
Pegasus and Predator spyware can allegedly extract all communications records from mobile devices. A European Parliament report and journalist investigations suspect wide illegal use in and outside of the European Union.
Defamation lawsuit against Serbian investigative media outlet KRIK sets a dangerous precedent
Just before Serbian investigative media outlet KRIK received an EU Award for Investigative Journalism, a Serbian court sentenced it for publishing truthful news about a criminal trial.
North Macedonia journalist organizations condemn verbal attack against female journalist
Garbage collectors in Skopje threatened a journalist who documented their lack of work by implying harm to herself, her family and even her dog, demanding that she delete incriminating photos.
The Western Balkans will need unity and cooperation across society to overcome press freedom challenges
Independent media in the Western Balkans face disinformation campaigns, hate speech, physical attacks, threats, low income, poor economic status, divisions, self-censorship and job insecurity.
European Court of Human Rights vindicates Macedonian journalists convicted of defamation
In 2014 and 2015, Focus journalists had to pay more than EUR 9,000 as damages to the former director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (ASC) Sašo Mijalkov for defamation and insult.
How fascination with Russia’s power is created in the media and on social networks in North Macedonia
In North Macedonia, Russia’s military power is talked about in a way and in a quantity that cannot be found about any other country.
Serbian authorities accused of spying on visiting Russian citizens at behest of Kremlin
Russia and Serbia have formed a joint working group to combat protest movements against autocratic and populist governments by suppressing grassroots initiatives, independent media, the opposition and civil society organizations.
Disinformation campaign intensifies as Afghan refugees arrive in North Macedonia
The first group of 149 Afghan citizens arrived in Skopje on August 30. While the government and civil society welcome the refugees, right-wing nationalists exploit their plight to spread disinformation and hate.