The Ecosystem of Serbian Far-Right Telegram Channels

The most followed channel, “BUNT je stanje duha,” has nearly 86,000 followers but shows low engagement. In contrast, the “Princip” channel, although smaller, achieves the highest level of interaction (71%). This indicates that a channel’s influence does not depend on the number of followers, but rather on the intensity of engagement. The channels are grouped into three categories: nationalist-patriotic, pro-Russian, and anti-system. All of them promote a binary narrative in which Russia and “the people” are portrayed as bearers of truth, while the West, the European Union, and domestic institutions are depicted as threats. Posting frequency significantly affects engagement – channels with 1–3 posts per day have more engaged followers than those publishing 20 or more posts daily. These channels operate outside any form of oversight or regulation. Overall, they represent a serious challenge to accurate public information and to the stability of democracy in Serbia.