The results of the monitoring conducted by the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM), aimed at determining the level of adherence to professional and ethical standards in the reporting of online media during the 2025 Local Elections, show improvements in terms of transparency of media structures, as well as in the attribution of information sources.
Negative trends that remain a regular practice in the day-to-day work of online media include so-called copy-paste journalism and a pronounced reliance on social media posts as a source of information, which during election periods are considered serious risks for readers.
A total of 30 online media outlets were analyzed over the period from 20 October to 10 November 2025, specifically the information they published on a daily basis related to the election process.
The monitoring covered an average of 90 texts per day, providing a clear picture of the quality, transparency, and professional reporting in a period when the public is particularly sensitive in its expectations of accurate and credible information.
The report is intended for the general public, the media community, and partner organizations, as a step toward improving media practices.
The monitoring was conducted through a combined approach that included both quantitative and qualitative analysis of media publications. Each text was evaluated according to criteria related to media transparency, reporting approach, professional attribution of sources, protection against discrimination, respect for the presumption of innocence, and the presence of plagiarism.
These parameters are based on the Code of Journalists of Macedonia and the Guidelines for Ethical Reporting of Online Media.
Assessments were carried out by a trained monitoring team, and data processing was conducted using standardized statistical techniques.
The full report on the monitoring of online media reporting during the 2025 Local Elections can be downloaded here: Monitoring of Online Media during the 2025 Local Elections (in Macedonian).