Ida Ismail
According to the World Press Freedom Index of “Reporters Without Borders", Albania this year ranked 83rd out of 180 countries in terms of media freedom, marking a decline compared to the previous year, where it held 80th place. Although improvement was recorded in the previous period, recent developments show a negative trend.
The report highlights that despite constitutional guarantees, protection of the confidentiality of sources is insufficient, while in some cases the media has been prohibited from reporting on sensitive issues of public interest.
Another dimension of media problems in Albania is related to working conditions of journalists, where informality and insecurity are on the rise. According to the data, work without a contract, late wages and non-payment of insurance have become widespread practices, while the level of informality has doubled in three years, from 6% to 12.9%. This situation is accompanied by limited controls and minimal penalties, creating an environment where journalists face economic pressure and a lack of protection, factors that directly affect the independence and quality of public information.
Another structural problem in the Albanian media, according to RSF, is related to the influence of owners over the editorial line, where pluralism remains mainly numerical and not real. In The 11th Media Development Forum organized by the OSCE, organized in October 2025, already point out that the connections of owners with economic interests in sectors such as construction, tourism and concessions directly influence media content. This creates significant challenges for editorial independence, transparency and financial sustainability, especially in public media, limiting the role of journalism as a protector of the public interest.
At the regional level, Reporters Without Borders assesses that press freedom in the Western Balkans is generally deteriorating. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, according to the report, aspire to become part of the European Union, but all three countries are hostile to journalism and vulnerable to propaganda, while the decline in the ranking for these countries reflects political and institutional pressure on the media. The region, according to the organization, is becoming an environment where laws and practices are increasingly used in favor of power and to the detriment of public information.
In this panorama, Kosovo presents a contrary development, climbing to 84th place, 15 places higher than a year ago, after a sharp decline that had taken it to 99th place. However, even this improvement is considered fragile. According to the report, journalists continue to be subject to political attacks, while the functioning of the regulator also remains a problem:
“The ineffective media regulator, the Independent Media Commission (IMC), was subject to a legislative reform, which was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court,” the Reporters Without Borders report found for Kosovo.
The latest data show a stark contrast between the rankings and reality. Albania is facing decline and structural problems, while Kosovo, although improving, remains fragile in the face of political and institutional pressures. Overall, the Western Balkans is showing a steady regression in media freedom, with gains remaining limited and easily reversible.
Montenegro ranks 41st (up from 37th last year) in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. North Macedonia this year ranked 45th (down from 42nd last year), Albania is itself one place above Kosovo, at 83rd, Bosnia and Herzegovina at 90th (up from 86th last year), and Serbia is the worst, ranking 104th (up from 96th last year).
According to the report, the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region continues to be in the penultimate place in this year's index, while the EU and Balkans area is in first place despite the decline in journalism conditions.
In the index of the organization "Reporters Without Borders", Norway is in first place in terms of press freedom, while Eritrea is in 180th place.acqj.al
