Denada Jushi
Political, economic, and editorial influence are closely linked to media ownership and the interests of these owners in other areas. This is one of the findings presented by Marius Dragomir, Director of the Media and Journalism Research Center, at the 11th Media Development Forum organized by the OSCE in Albania.
The Forum is an annual meeting organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in which representatives from national and local media, public institutions, academics and civil society discuss the most important challenges but also achievements in this field, and the future of media freedom and integrity in the country.
The three owners of the country's main national media outlets have been declared strategic investors, said Aleksandra Bogdani, editor-in-chief of BIRN Albania.
By identifying the connections of media owners with economic interests, and as a result of this connection, the editorial line changes or adapts depending on government interests. The three main areas, said Bogdani, where this connection is observed are construction, concessions and tourism.
For Blerjana Binon, director of the Center for Science and Innovation for Development (SciDev), in this relationship, the damaged are the journalists, who either have to accept the editorial line and return to "plasticine" every time the owner changes the editorial line based on economic interests, or have to choose to work in media centers with funding that comes mainly from European Union countries or the USA, which guarantee editorial freedom, but do not have sustainability in funding because they operate with programs.
Armela Krasniqi, head of AMA, focused on reviewing the 2013 law on media, saying that it was a law for analog media, while today digitalization has completely changed this landscape.
"We have 4 national licenses, but we already have 15 television channels that are seen throughout the country."
For Prof. Mark Marku, any intervention or drafting must be viewed carefully, because according to him, the ownership problem is one of the most difficult problems to address, and there is no model even among EU countries for this issue.
Meanwhile, an important point of this forum was the challenges of Public Radio Television (RTSH).
The institution's new director, Eni Vasili, said that this television station had lost its relevance and that financial problems have presented TVSH with major challenges.
"We are seeing the structure, the regulations, and everything missing within this institution," she said.
For Lutfi Dervishi, a journalist but also part of this institution for a long time, from 2007–2020, good and quality shows are needed on TVSH. Balancing propaganda is not progress.
Progress is distancing oneself from propaganda. And above all, self-reflection is needed on the responsibility and importance of Public Television as an asset.
As for Binon, the role of how the Council of this institution is elected should be expanded beyond parliament and financial transparency is needed.
RTSH, due to massive and arbitrary dismissals resulting from spur-of-the-moment decisions by its leaders over the years, has suffered a financial bill resulting from court decisions of 76,126,442 Lekë for the years 2023-2025 alone.
The Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction in Tirana has issued a total of 42 decisions regarding unfair dismissal in the last 3 years, while the Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction in Tirana has issued a total of 5 decisions in the last 3 years.
The safety of journalists, the impact of the media, editorial independence and above all transparency for media owners in Albania continue to remain some of the recommendations of every report coming from the European Union.
In Albania, there is media plurality in terms of quantity, but there is a lack of independence and freedom to report the news.
A concrete example was brought to the forum by Lutfi Dervishi with the news of Deputy Prime Minister Balluku's summons to SPAK, which was not reported by either the two largest media outlets in the country, or public television. /acqj.al
