Battle for Kosovo

It could be said that every world conflict in recent years has had its own virtual projection on the Internet.  Big media giants, warring sides and special interest groups are all equally responsible for this.  The first group has been aware for several years now that the Internet is the biggest world market for what they sell — information; the second group has been able, with minimal investment, to wield the biggest punch, while the third group is driven by sheer patriotism or, more often, by exhibitionism.

As was to be expected, the current conflict in Kosovo found its place on the Internet, and judging by what can be seen, the initiative is absolutely on the side of the Albanians of Kosovo.  There are several addresses on which the latest news is posted, including photographs and maps, as well as appeals for support and aid.  If we take into account that Internet editions of the biggest media giants (CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, BBC Online) are swamped with reports from Kosovo, it could be said that Kosovo is at present the top story in the world, at least as far as the Internet is concerned.  The web sites are mostly made by students, just as they were in Serbia during the 1996/97 winter protests.  In this case we are dealing with students of the parallel, namely, the officially unrecognized University of Pristina, while their colleagues (mostly Serbs and Montenegrins) are fairly lukewarm about the whole idea of the Internet.

Similarly, web site content is directed at presenting the problem from the perspective of the Albanians of Kosovo.  Articles are in English and Albanian (somewhere also in German), which clearly suggests which are the target groups for dialogue on Kosovo.  Sites abound with traditional symbols — ones associated with Kosovo and with Albanians in general (combinations of the colors red and black, the two headed eagle) — and are very user-friendly; you will find all relevant info on the title page, and what is considered especially relevant is well marked off.  Thus, in its web site (http://www.koha.net), during the police action in Drenica, the Albanian language daily, Koha ditore, updated its English language news on an hourly basis, in a feature entitled “Massacre in Drenica”.  News items were accompanied by very graphic pictures of dead bodies with blown up skulls from firearm shots, which is probably the only apparent editorial flaw.  Such content should not to be posted without prior warning to users.  Shock thus created can be counterproductive.

Another well attended site in recent days is Alb-Net (http://www.alb-net.com).  Links to it can be found on all important Internet sites in the world, and it posts the biggest news items, includes the possibility of offering support to Albanian students in their demands (the same principle employed by Belgrade’s students in their protest), and has the entire copy of a 1937 report on Kosovo by Vasa Cubrilovic — which, what’s more, is offered in English.  Cubrilovic’s report is used as evidence of Serb ambitions to ethnically cleanse Kosovo of Albanians.  Also, here you can find articles on Kosovo from important world press agencies which are supportive of Albanians, completing a picture of Albanians as victims of a repressive Serb Police.

The response by the Serb side is more than lukewarm.  The Serbian Resistance Movement has its own site (http://www.kosovo.com), which is generally more user-friendly than the similar Albanians site (http://www.kosova.com) which contains links to the most important sites run by the Albanians of Kosovo.  The reason for this is trivial: most people will logically believe that the official web site is the one that goes under the name “kosovo”, because that is how it is written in every world language.  However, all advantages stop at that.  The title page of the first site is in English and posts a story about the historical significance of Kosovo for Serbs, as well as statements by Serb Orthodox Church dignitaries on Kosovo.  There is no information available on what is happening in Kosovo at the present moment, who is doing the shooting and why, nor is there anything to match the initiative headed by Kosovo’s Albanians.

The situation is similar with the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Serbia web site (http://www.serbia-info.com).  This web site was launched last spring, accompanied by an enviable media campaign, and from the beginning had ambitions of informing the world about the situation in Serbia.  However, in crisis situations like this one, authors content themselves with passing on official press releases which are written exclusively for domestic policy purposes.  There is absolutely no strategy for appearing on the Internet, nor is there awareness that there is information which could be damaging to the other side, and which it would not be harmful to let the world know.
By contrast with the Albanian news agency ARTA, whose reports systematically appear on most web sites held by Kosovo’s Albanians, the biggest Serbian media houses, such as state television, the Tanjug and Politika agencies, do not have any, or have very bad Internet sites.  In the case of independent media, the situation is only slightly better.  Web sites do exist, but they merely carry what these media houses release in their regular editions, while no one has summoned the courage to launch top stories first on the Internet.

Finally, there are the enthusiasts (or exhibitionists), who independent of the state budget and their day jobs, feel the need to contribute to media wars such as this one.  Even though in this, Serbians are at a distinct advantage because Kosovo does not have an Internet provider, no one has yet felt the need to join in in this battle.
But who knows.  Perhaps this article might suddenly provoke enough people for fresh gasoline to be added to the virtual battle for Kosovo.  Should you find yourself in this position, do not forget to add your e-mail address to your web site.  Should an Albanian write to you — well there we’ll have it: dialogue between Albanians and Serbs on Kosovo!