COMPASS: Coordinated Mechanism for Protection Against Strategic Influence

COMPASS aims to strengthen institutional and societal resilience to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in North Macedonia by developing mechanisms for coordinated response, better strategic and crisis communications, and support for media and journalists.

The project envisages establishing a national mechanism for analysing and dealing with malicious disinformation campaigns, led by the General Secretariat of the Government of North Macedonia. Within the mechanism, government procedures aligned with UK and EU standards, protocols for crisis and strategic communications, standard operating procedures, specialised training and simulation exercises for civil servants and government communicators will be developed.

A separate part of the project focuses on the media sector. It will strengthen the cyber-protection capacities of newsrooms and journalists, improve cooperation between the competent institutions and the media, and establish a rapid response system for cyber-security threats. Newsrooms will also receive practical support and resources to improve their cyber hygiene.

The project will also support investigative stories and informative content for recognising and exposing disinformation campaigns. Particular attention will be paid to women journalists, given their exposure to gender-based disinformation and online harassment.

COMPASS will also carry out research and case studies on anti-Western narratives based on religion.