CSD’s digital media monitoring system in the Western Balkans shows that with the start of the war in Ukraine media interest in corruption has declined. This is problematic, considering that corruption is among the most vexing issues for the region’s democratic development. Moreover, it seems that robust anti-corruption reforms are among the factors behind Ukraine’s resilience. Hence, Western Balkan governments, societies and media need to work together to reinvigorate demand for good governance in the region, including by confronting regional and national Kremlin-backed oligarchic networks. There has been a decline in the level of media coverage of corruption with March and April marking the lowest rate of coverage in the past two years with less than 100 articles per month. Interesting to see if this trend continues further in 2022.
Report: Western Balkans 2020: State Capture Risks and Policy Reforms
