Perception is All That Matters: A Study of Media Use and the Journalist’s Perspective on the Ethnic Divide in North Macedonian and Why It Matters

How can media impact perceptions of state-building in the ethnically and linguistically diverse region of North Macedonia? Since the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, North Macedonia has found itself at the intersection of cultural and territorial disputes involving neighboring countries including Serbia, Albania, Greece, and Bulgaria. The ethnic and linguistic diversity of North Macedonia creates a unique environment in which politics and ethnic identity collide with differing perspectives on its impact towards democratization. Journalism intersects media use by political actors and the public, creating a complex landscape where misinformation thrives and public trust in both media and government declines. These factors are further complicated by a global movement towards populism amid efforts to integrate into the European Union; a twenty-year effort which underscores the impact of ethnic and linguistic disputes on state building and democratization. While there has been considerable research done in other Balkan states, literature discussing journalism and nation forming in North Macedonia is scarce. Accordingly, research in this study specifically investigates the impact of journalism and media on the perspectives of citizens in North Macedonia and how those perspectives can shape the development of an ethnodiverse nation. A qualitative analysis was conducted on a series of semi-structured interviews with journalists, during which their views on state building and political divisions were discussed. Findings present the existence of differing perspectives among journalists on whether the ethnic divide is a substantive issue or rather a narrative used by political figures to shape public opinion.