Influencers and the new media reality: The growing risk of foreign influence

The digital space in Macedonia has been experiencing dramatic changes in recent years. Young people obtain their information almost entirely through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These platforms operate outside of traditional media rules, have no editors, no fact-checking, and without accountability for the impact they can create. In such environment, influencers are becoming the new “public voices,” who can reach tens of thousands of people in minutes with just one video.
This development yields many positive opportunities, but also significant risks.

This research carried out by European institutions show that foreign actors are increasingly investing resources in controlling and reshaping the digital space – not through classic media, but through influencers, meme profiles and coordinated digital networks. Macedonia is no exception, and our small media environment, low trust in institutions and high dependence on social networks make us susceptible to such influence operations.