D5.1 Country Report | June 2021
Author: Bojana Barlovac, Center for Comparative Conflict Studies (CFCCS)
The so-called refugee crisis was a major one in recent history. Since 2015, Serbia has witnessed an unprecedented movement of refugees and migrants headed towards the EU, but also a big discursive shift from great hospitality towards the newly arrived to the development of virulent anti-immigration and anti-refugee discourses. As media play a huge role in constituting and shaping our take on the world around us, this report aims to address the complex relationship between media and radicalization associated with the so-called refugee crisis. Focusing on the far-right groups’ usage of online platforms and formats to effectively disseminate their radicalized and/or extremist messages, this report explores digital media and its role in transmitting and legitimizing radical ideas and radicalized political action. In doing this, the report analyses how radicalized discursive constructions are framed and disseminated through digital media and what are their implications in the Serbian society.