As Albania prepares for the Parliamentary Elections, to be held on May 11, 2025, the Albanian media freedom organizations and civil society organizations, call on political parties, their leaders, and candidates to respect and support the principles of media freedom, transparency, and accountability before and during the election campaign.
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In line with our oversight function of the process, we call on political parties to:
Ensure full access for journalists to election activities:
- All political parties and candidates must ensure that journalists have the opportunity to follow and cover all planned campaign activities, without obstacles or restrictions.
- Excluding journalists from election activities undermines transparency and public information, while open and continuous communication with the media strengthens public trust in the election process.
- Journalists have the right and professional obligation to inform the public about any important developments during this period and about any activities organized by the parties, providing a complete and balanced view of electoral events.
Avoid using ready-made materials without full transparency:
- We call on political parties, their leaders and candidates to refrain from using practices of distributing ready-made materials to the media with the aim of broadcasting them as independent content. Any material prepared by the communication offices of the political partis must be clear and labeled as such.
- At the same time, we call on the media to avoid broadcasting such materials without clear labeling indicating that their source is a political party or candidate.
- Transparency in this process is vital to maintain editorial standards, prevent public manipulation, and strengthen citizens’ trust in the electoral process.
Avoid any form of favoritism or discrimination that undermines pluralism and public debate:
- We ask political parties to be open and ready to communicate with the media at any time and to answer without hesitation any questions from journalists. Public statements and information should be accessible to all media, regardless of their profile or editorial orientation.
- Political parties should not refuse television appearances, should not unilaterally discriminate against particular television stations, and should guarantee that all media outlets, regardless of their profile, have the opportunity to interview political representatives and cover campaign events.
- The responses of political parties, party leaders, and candidates to journalists’ questions must be open and complete, without evasion or manipulation of information.
Accept public debates and confrontations between candidates:
- Political parties should accept public debates and confrontations, providing an opportunity for citizens to be directly informed about the programs and positions of each political entity.
- The election campaign should be an opportunity to create an open and honest dialogue between citizens and political parties, and journalists should have the opportunity to provide an accurate, impartial and complete overview of the offers and commitments of each party and each candidate.
Respect the independence and editorial freedom of media and journalists:
- Parties and political candidates should engage constructively with the media, avoiding any form of pressure or attempts to influence editorial content. Avoid exerting any form of direct or indirect pressure on journalists or the media.
- Publicly commit to protecting free media and do not encourage any kind of attacks, harassment, or intimidation against media professionals.
- Ensure that all interactions with the media are conducted with respect for journalistic autonomy and ethical standards.
Ensure transparency in communications:
- Clearly label any sponsored political content, including advertisements or sponsored segments, to distinguish it from independent editorial coverage.
- Avoid misuse of state resources or public platforms for campaign purposes, as defined by the Electoral Code.
We also call on the media to maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity during their coverage of the election campaign, providing accurate, impartial and verified information.
Transparency, media freedom and equal access to information are essential pillars of a fair and democratic electoral process. It is important to respect the monitoring reports from civil society and cooperation initiatives between the media and civil society as an opportunity to strengthen the integrity of elections and increase public trust.
Journalists must be able to cover the campaign without any hindrance, ensuring that citizens are fully and impartially informed to make an informed decision on May 11th.
Political parties bear a special responsibility to guarantee a transparent and inclusive electoral process, creating the safe conditions for journalism to fulfill its essential role in protecting and strengthening democracy.
We will regularly monitor the process and inform the public and interested stakeholders about developments in this regard before and during the electoral campaign.
Read the full statement in Albanian Language here.
Tirana, January 22, 2025
Signatory organizations:
Journalists Association of Albania
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Albania (BIRN Albania)
Science and Innovation Center for Development (SCiDEV)
Institute for Political Studies (ISP)
Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance (CSDG)
Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (APJA)
Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM)
Albanian Helsinki Committee (KSHH)
Civic Resistance (QQ)
Albanian Center for Quality Journalism (ACQJ)
Faktoje.al
MediaLook Center Albania
Albanian Media Council (KShM)
Citizens.al
Souce: https://scidevcenter.org/2025/01/22/public-statement-to-political-parties-and-candidates-respect-media-freedom-and-transparency-before-and-during-the-electoral-campaign-for-the-general-elections-on-11th-may-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawH98VNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSeNNydMDKE1cmLbRHgJVf_B1Wx1iYbBUPwXJ2NW5TIY_7pybT7INumhOQ_aem_xyG_DwcXWxi7YSACgkXjQw