My Journey Through Online Harassment Amid Coverage of Kosovo-Serbia Tensions

In today's digital landscape, targeted online harassment against journalists highlights the urgent need for increased digital literacy and robust safeguards against misinformation and silencing.

As a journalist and photographer with over sixteen years of experience, I recently embarked on a new endeavour by joining Substack and gradually transferring my older articles from my blog. Little did I know that my involvement in observing and writing about the Kosovo-Serbia tensions would attract unwanted attention and subject me to a wave of online harassment.

Before delving into this tumultuous experience, it's important to note that I had limited exposure to social media in the past. As a result, my Twitter following was relatively small, comprising a few hundred individuals who may have stumbled upon my rare tweets or heard of my work. However, the dynamics changed drastically as I began shedding light on the shady darkness surrounding accountability in the Kosovo-Serbia context.

Curiously, my follower counts experienced extreme fluctuations. It would soar to 7,000 at times, only to descend rapidly following the publication of my articles or tweets about the tensions. Negative replies to my posts were a rarity, leading me to believe that I was operating within a supportive online community. However, things took a bewildering turn when I realized that these fluctuations were intentionally designed to deceive the algorithm and shadow-ban my account.

Here is an analysis from Social Blade on my Twitter Account.

According to Social Blade's analysis, my Twitter account witnessed a significant surge of nearly 2,000 followers between June 1, 4, and 8, 2023. Interestingly, this sudden increase coincided with the publication of my article exposing Berat Buzhala's pro-Serbia editorial and unfounded narrative. However, between June 9 and 11, my account experienced a notable loss of 1,845 followers.

As of now, on Monday, June 12, 2023, at noon, my Twitter account has a following of 4,746. It has been fluctuating recently, particularly over the past two days

Whenever my follower counts would reach around 7,000 or even as low as 6,000, coinciding with the publication of my articles on Kosovo-Serbia tensions, my followers would mysteriously vanish into thin air. Yet, the fluctuation operation did not go unnoticed. I began receiving subsequent account followers, along with an onslaught of extremely negative replies, often accompanied by links to my articles. Despite my attempts to reason with these accounts and provide them with context to understand my perspective as a journalist, they remained steadfast in their narrative, resorting to personal attacks.

To my surprise, I received inbox messages from individuals claiming to "know dirt" about me and threatening to write articles exposing me. Undeterred, I challenged them to bring it on. Gradually, I learned that many of these individuals were part of troll farms, whose sole purpose was to propagate misinformation and create a false perception of my genuine intentions.

Here is another Twitter account, seemingly genuine, but potentially associated with the group of trolls orchestrating coordinated attacks.

In a separate post, I attempted to organize a campaign, urging ethnic Albanians and truth supporters to write to their MPs and demand a debate in the House of Commons for Kosovo. However, this "genuine" Twitter user, who claims to be an LSE alumnus, deliberately quote-tweeted my post, distorting its intended message. This sparked a chain of retweets with others making the same false claim, despite it being far from the original point I was trying to convey.

Standing at the forefront of truth, I embarked on a tumultuous journey, unmasking the sinister world of online harassment. Battling coordinated attacks and falsehoods, my quest to shed light on Kosovo-Serbia tensions reveals the dire importance of digital literacy and protection against online abuse.

Heeding the advice of friends and colleagues, I decided to refrain from engaging with these trolls. However, they adapted their tactics by taking my tweet threads out of context and sharing them with their audiences, levying baseless and unfounded claims. Some accused me of being anti-American, while others alleged that I was an advisor to high-ranking officials. There were even absurd claims that I pursued journalism merely to feed myself as a poor individual. What struck me as peculiar was the shared affinity among these accounts for retweeting Richard Grenell, a prominent figure in the Kosovo-Serbia peace negotiations.

Richard Grenell, named as a special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations by President Trump in October 2019, served part-time after his resignation as ambassador, operating from the White House. However, evidence suggests that the Trump administration leaned toward a pro-Serbian stance due to its pro-Putin inclinations. This bias culminated in the overthrow of Kurti's government, which had been elected in 2019, leading to new parliamentary elections in Kosovo in 2021. Furthermore, there are indications that Grenell is paid by Serbia to lobby on their behalf, aligning with his pro-Serbian diplomatic approach.

A notable commonality among these trolls was their inability to articulate coherent sentences or paragraphs, plagued by countless grammar errors. Yet, they claimed to have attended prestigious universities, sometimes even two. Some identified themselves as diplomats, former chiefs of staff, or scientists. It was amusing to note that many of them declared themselves as "father and husband."

Additionally, these trolls exhibited a liking for one of the most prominent pro-Serbia propagandists in Kosovo, a man named Berat Buzhala. Intrigued by his tweets, I engaged him with well-articulated responses in an attempt to challenge his views and encourage self-reflection. However, he chose to block me instead. Undeterred, I used my platform to call out his actions, unveiling how he was using both the American flag and the noble profession of journalism to disseminate propaganda against Kosovo's justified defence against Serbian aggression.

Upon publishing my articles in both English and Albanian languages, I became the target of another wave of harassment, this time orchestrated by the farm of inexplicable trolls. Some of them selectively interpreted and twisted fragments of my threads, hurling insults like "idiot" despite my constant pleas for civil discourse. To add to the chaos, they started using screenshots of an app called Chat GPT to falsely claim that it had generated my articles. While initially caught off guard by this revelation, I discovered that the app's knowledge was limited to political developments until 2021, making it implausible for me to rely on it for my current affairs reporting.

Furthermore, another Twitter user came to my defence, providing screenshots that clarified the reason behind Chat GPT's misconception. It appeared that the app had absorbed a significant portion of nearly the entire web, that it could even be some of my previously written articles since 2007, creating the false impression that it was responsible for my writing.

This revelation “exposed” the very person who initiated the misinformation campaign against me, as his tweets also appear to be claimed by Chat GPT itself. It became clear that their claims lacked coherence and merit.

Despite the challenges and personal attacks, I have faced, I refuse to remain silent. My passion for journalism and commitment to shedding light on important issues keeps me resilient, although I must say, this is a brand new challenge for journalists to have to face. I will continue to engage with truth and reason, unyielding in my pursuit of accountability and justice amidst the turbulent landscape of online discourse.

My personal experience with targeted online harassment highlights a disconcerting reality in today's digital landscape. It is evident that those with vested interests and an agenda to push will go to great lengths to undermine the credibility and integrity of journalists like myself who strive to bring important issues to light. The weaponization of social media platforms, the spread of misinformation, and the use of troll farms to silence dissenting voices are troubling trends that threaten the very foundations of a free and democratic society.

My journey has underscored the urgent need for increased digital literacy, responsible online engagement, and robust safeguards against online harassment. Social media platforms must take proactive measures to identify and address coordinated campaigns aimed at silencing journalists and stifling the free flow of information. Moreover, as a society, we must foster a culture of critical thinking and media literacy, empowering individuals to discern reliable sources of information and counter the spread of misinformation.

I am acutely aware of the vital role journalists play in upholding democratic values and holding those in power accountable. Without our unwavering dedication and courage, the public would be left in the dark, vulnerable to manipulation and disinformation. It is imperative that we support and protect journalists, ensuring our safety and providing us with the necessary tools to continue our invaluable work.

As we navigate an increasingly complex digital world, it is our collective responsibility to defend the principles of truth, transparency, and open dialogue. Only through a concerted effort to address online harassment, promote responsible online behaviour, and champion the role of journalism can we safeguard the pillars of democracy and ensure a future where freedom of expression and the pursuit of truth prevail.