This edition of the Media Landscape Brief provides an overview of the current multifaceted developments in June and July 2024. The Brief is prepared in cooperation with the Safe Journalists Network and local stakeholders.
Special Parliamentary Committee to Counter Foreign Interference in Democratic Processes
June and July 2024 saw the establishment and initial activities of a Special Parliamentary Committee aimed at combating disinformation and foreign interference. On June 6, 2024, the Albanian Parliament, with only the governing majority (Socialist Party) votes, approved the establishment of the Special Committee, tasked with coordinating and supervising institutional actions against these threats to the country’s democratic processes.
The committee’s inaugural meeting on June 26, 2024, notably lacked opposition participation, raising concerns about its inclusivity. Subsequently, the committee issued several public calls for engagement, demonstrating an intent to involve a wide range of stakeholders. These included invitations for expressions of interest from civil society organizations, research institutes, and academic institutions, both domestic and international. The committee also extended invitations for cooperation and participation in public debate roundtables to various media sectors, including audiovisual, print, online, and electronic media. Furthermore, it sought expertise from international bodies such as the USA, EU, NATO, and the Council of Europe, as well as other interested countries and experts.
In response to our initial concerns about the Committee (here and here), SCiDEV and BIRN Albania, in collaboration with other prominent media organizations and think tanks in Albania (Institute for Democracy and Mediation, Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance, Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, Faktoje, Civic Resistance, Citizen Channel, Civil Rights Defenders, Albanian Media Institute, Association of Journalists of Albania, Institute for Political Studies), hosted a roundtable discussion with the Committee’s Chairman, Mr. Erion Brace, and Secretary, Mrs. Etilda Gjonaj. This event provided a platform for presenting and discussing the committee’s objectives, mandate, and methodology. The committee’s engagement efforts continued with additional public consultations involving civil society organizations and public institutions. On July 17, 2024, the committee presented its preparatory work and approved a document outlining its objectives and work methodology during a formal meeting.
On the Annual Reporting of the Public Service Broadcaster – RTSH to the Albanian Parliament
The public broadcaster’s annual report presentation to the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Public Information Media on June 24, 2024, was met with significant criticism from opposition MPs. They alleged non-implementation of previous parliamentary recommendations and raised concerns about personnel management and financial transparency at RTSH (Albanian Radio and Television). RTSH Director General Alfred Peza refuted these allegations, characterizing them as “fake news”. The Safe Journalists Network has documented reports from journalists claiming dismissal without due process and has issued letters of concern. In response to a freedom of information request by SCiDEV, the Inspectorate disclosed that it has received six complaints of unlawful dismissal from RTSH staff since June 2023 that have resulted in formal warnings issued to RTSH for violations of labor and social insurance legislation. This situation underscores the need for increased parliamentary oversight and transparency within Albania’s public broadcasting sector.
On the media regulator’s annual report to the Albanian Parliament
The Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) of Albania recently presented its 2023 annual report to the Committee for Education and Means of Public Information. The Parliamentary Resolution on AMA includes key recommendations for 2024 regarding amendments to the Law no. 97/2013 on audiovisual media in line with EU standards, addressing media financing transparency, media ownership concentration, public advertising, and regulatory independence; audience measurement; broadcasting code implementation, journalist safety, and professional standards.
Roundtable Discussion on Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists in Albania
In the framework of advancing media freedom and journalists’ safety in Albania, SCiDEV, BIRN Albania, and Qendra Faktoje, in collaboration with OBC Transeuropa organized a roundtable discussion that introduced preliminary research on journalists’ perceptions of media freedom in the country, presented the Media Advocacy Shadow Report for Albania and accompanying recommendations. A complete summary of the discussion can be found here.
VI National Conference on the Right to Information
Our researcher Blerjana Bino, participated in a panel titled “Transparency of Public Authorities from the Perspective of Civil Society and Media” with Kristina Voko, Executive Director of BIRN Albania, and Gjergji Vurmo, Senior Advisor at the Institute for Democracy and Mediation. This was part of the VI National Conference on the Right to Information, co-organized by the Office of the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Data and the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption. The conference’s main theme was “Building Trust: Promoting Transparency, Accountability, and Integrity in Anti-Corruption Policies.” Blerjana Bino argued that the transparency of public authorities must be strengthened. She emphasized that the government, starting with the Prime Minister, should stop providing pre-packaged audiovisual materials to the media and open up institutions to scrutiny. She also highlighted the importance of increasing the oversight role of Parliament and strengthening the National Council on European Integration in Parliament. CSOs and media can leverage the opportunities offered by the EU accession process to improve transparency. Additionally, Bino called on civil society organizations (CSOs) to be more proactive and build broader alliances with academia and media for stronger advocacy and engagement.
Public Consultation of the National Reform Agenda 2024-2027
The Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans was adopted in May 2024 by the Council as a new instrument to support EU-related reforms and economic growth in the region. The facility is the financial pillar of the New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. In this context, the Government of Albania developed the National Reform Agenda 2024-2027 (NRA 2024-2027) as a strategic document designed to implement the EU’s new Reform and Growth Facility for Albania. Konsultimi Publik i Axhendës Kombëtare të Reformës 2024-2027 Based on our pillars of work, we have provided recommendations for the following policy areas: Human Capital: Education, Research and Development; Digital Transition and Rule of Law / Fundamentals.
Violations of the safety of journalists and media freedom in Albania
On June 21, during the elections for rectorates and deans at public universities in Albania, journalists encountered significant obstacles at both the University of Tirana and the University of Elbasan. They were barred from reporting on and observing the election process, hindering public transparency.
On the morning of June 30, 2024, the personal Facebook page of Elvin Luku, which managed the social networks for www.medialook.al and the Albanian MediaLook Center, was shut down, disrupting access. This closure follows a series of DDoS attacks on the MediaLook website since April 2024. The targeted attacks and social media closures appear to be attempts to silence critical voices, potentially leading to self-censorship.
After a three-year battle for transparency between BIRN Albania and the Independent Qualification Commission, the Supreme Court has upheld the decision requiring the vetting institution to disclose the name of its private sponsor (More here).
All other cases can be found in the Safe Journalists Network Database.