The claim that Vučikj called Zaev “a monkey” is false

Through a false statement of the Serbian top politician about another top politician in N. Macedonia, the real content is changed in order to achieve greater activity around the post on the Facebook fan page of the media. When the content is clicked, disappointment follows. There, the statement is conveyed completely correctly as opposed to the lie presented in the title

A page on the social network Facebook shares a post of a text with a fake, unrealistic and sensationalist title. The headline claims that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučikj called the Macedonian Prime Minister a “monkey”, which is untrue.

Vučikj: They want us to recognize Kosovo and end up like the monkey Zaev with the Prespa Agreement! – is stated in the title of the post.

This is a text where part of Vučikj’s interview is selected, given for the show “Kirilica”, broadcasted on the Serbian television “Happy”, in which he talks about the possible recognition of Kosovo. In the interview, Vučikj says that with the recognition of Kosovo, Serbia can get nothing “and end up like Zaev with the Prespa Agreement”.

With Kosovo, they want to overthrow the whole of Serbia, and that is not far from the truth. They will tell you that the most modern politicians are the ones who will accept Kosovo’s independence, while Serbia will not get anything in return. Or to get a beautiful story that lasts three months in the western newspapers and end up like Zoran Zaev with the story of the Prespa Agreement. The man does not know what to do with himself because they do not want to open negotiations. I do not know why, nor is there a rational explanation,- Vučikj said.

He does not insult Zaev anywhere in the interview, nor does he call him a “monkey”.

Confirmation that Vučikj does not use that word is the video from the interview in the show “Kirilica” where one can hear and see the entire statement of the Serbian president (6:35 – 7:16 minutes).

But in the quote that was used to form the title, the word “monkey” was added. That part of the title is completely invented and added to the real statement of Vučikj. This is done in order to attract more attention and activity on the Facebook page, even though it is a false statement.

The part with the fabricated insult is added only in the title of the text, and not in the text itself. So, if you click on the text to find out more and find out why Vučikj calls Zaev a “monkey”, you will be disappointed. In the text, Vučikj’s statement is correctly conveyed, without the fictional part. Then you will realize that you have been deceived and that the title is fake.

A big problem with such clickbait sensationalist headlines is that the public is often informed only by reading the headlines and not the content of the text itself. The creators of such sensationalist titles are well aware of this, using such “baits” that are posted on social networks to attract as many clicks, shares and visibility as possible on the post and on the Facebook page itself.

For these reasons, the post we are reviewing can be assessed as partially false.

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