The challenges of media licensing in the digital age, disinformation, and media education of the public in the form of critical skills to understand and engage responsibly in the media, were some of the topics addressed at the annual forum of regulatory bodies of countries of the Black Sea, BRAF. At the conference held in Antalya, Turkey, the head of the Albanian Audio-visual Media Authority (AMA), Armela Krasniqi, led the panel on Disinformation and digital media education, organized by the Supreme Council of Turkish Radio-Television (RTÜK), with the participation of leaders of the regulatory bodies of Greece, Turkey, and Serbia.
In addition to the presentation on AMA’s role as a regulatory body in the Albanian audio and audio-visual media market and the challenges this market faces, Krasniqi also briefed the attendees on the amendments made in May 2023, the law on audio-visual media in the Republic of Albania. Krasniqi emphasized that the amendments made in accordance with the 2018 EU Directive, further strengthened the competencies of the AMA, increasing its role in encouraging actors and broadcasters operating in the Albanian market, for media education of the public.
Moreover, Krasniqi stressed the importance of educating the public using online media in order to be able to distinguish and select the correct information from the false one and be equipped with the proper analytical and critical skills. For this purpose, during the last two years, AMA has organized a series of activities with actors operating in the market and certain target groups of the population, Krasniqi added.
Speaking about the challenges of licensing in the digital age Krasniqi underlined the necessity to draft and implement guidelines and regulations that adapt and monitor the new media environment and the online communication system without affecting the freedom of expression. The process requires strategic planning, setting priorities for compliance and implementation policies, but also staff training for the implementation of new regulations Krasniqi said.
