PRISTINA, 27.10.2020 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) in partnership with the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS), today, on October 27th, published the research “The Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On The Economic Situation Of Journalists, Cameramen, and Photojournalists”.
The report is conducted by researcher Lirika Demiri and focuses on the dismissal and reduction of journalists’ salaries, the impact of the Emergency Package on the media sector, and the physical and mental well-being of the media workers during the period of COVID 19 pandemic.
The Executive Director of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, Getoarbë Mulliqi Bojaj, expressed her gratitude on behalf of AJK for the participation of the panelists, media, as well as for the support provided by KFOS during the pandemic, which was very important for the community of journalists, first by providing the protective equipment, as well as with the support of this research which highlights the situation of journalists, cameramen, and photojournalists in times of pandemic.
“This report aims to reveal the economic situation, i.e. the impact that the Covid 19 pandemic has had on the economic situation of journalists, cameramen, and photojournalists. The first cooperation with KFOS was at the very beginning of the pandemic when we asked for their help to provide protective equipment for our members: journalists, cameramen, and photojournalists, who were on the front line facing the unknown” said Mulliqi Bojaj.
In the meantime the researcher of the report, Lirika Demiri, presented to the audience the findings of the report.
“The report is a result of the research that was conducted from June 2020 until the end of September 2020. We conducted an online survey of about 120 media workers – journalists, cameramen, and photojournalists, and received their answers that mainly had to do with the impact of the pandemic on the economic situation of media workers, as well as changing the dynamics and difficulties encountered during pandemic reporting. In addition to the survey we have conducted interviews with various journalists and professionals in the field of media “, said Demiri.
Journalists Jehona Zhitia and Bujar Vitija were also part of the discussion panel.
Journalist Zhitia outlined some of the challenges the journalists faced when reporting on the Covid 19 pandemic.
“We started this challenge without knowing what awaits us along the way. Despite the long experience, you may have in the media, we are young and it has not occurred to us to report on any similar health situation. Although the doctors themselves were very unfamiliar with what would happen in the coming days, this became even more difficult perhaps for us as journalists, on how we report and what we would say at the beginning… I consider it as a challenge also for the journalists, however, we managed to do our job “, she said, among other things.
While Vitija spoke about the role of media and journalists in managing the pandemic.
“The role of the media has been very important. Journalists have never hesitated to do their job more responsibly in combating fake news. About 30% of Kosovars did not believe in the existence of Covid 19 and this has greatly hampered the management of the pandemic by the institutions. The media and journalists have played an important role in overturning this poll”, said among others Vitija.
You can find the whole report in Albanian and English language on this link.
