The Indicators on the Level of Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety Index 2025 show that Albania’s overall score did not change substantially, moving from 2.90 in 2024 to 2.98 in 2025. This slight numerical increase does not indicate sustained or consolidated progress, but rather a mixed picture in which limited institutional improvements coexist with persistent structural challenges. The legal and organizational environment remained fragile: criminal defamation was still in force at the end of the reporting period, anti-SLAPP safeguards had not yet been adopted, journalists remained exposed to prolonged litigation and financial pressure, and employment conditions continued to be the weakest area of the Index, marked by informality, irregular pay, weak contracts and limited union protection.
Some progress was recorded in specific institutional and procedural areas. The Constitutional Court’s 2025 ruling strengthened the constitutional guarantee protecting journalistic sources, while the adoption of the State Police safety guideline, the continued operation of journalist-safety focal points, the establishment of a dedicated cybercrime investigation sector, and improved institutional data collection marked positive developments. However, these improvements remained mostly formal or partial. They did not yet translate into consistent protection in practice, systematic follow-up of cases, proactive transparency, or effective mechanisms for journalists facing threats, online harassment, gender-based attacks, or immediate physical risk.
The actual safety situation remained concerning, particularly because attacks, obstruction and pressure against journalists continued during politically sensitive periods, including the parliamentary election context. Online harassment, smear campaigns, cyberattacks against independent media, hostile rhetoric from political actors, and attacks on media outlets and journalists’ associations showed that pressure on journalism is increasingly diverse and layered. Overall, the 2025 Index points to a media freedom environment where progress depends less on the existence of new formal measures and more on their effective implementation, accountability for attacks and threats, stronger labour protections, and a clear institutional commitment to condemn and prevent pressure against journalists and media actors.
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