Report of media pluralism in Albania, prepared by the Center for Media Pluralism and Freedom (CMPF), ranks Albania among the high-risk countries.
CMPF is a research center based at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
In the latest CMPF report, Albania is said to have made little progress in improving media freedom and ensuring media pluralism during 2024, despite the opening of negotiations for membership in the European Union.
According to the report, our country continues to face major challenges in four main areas: Fundamental protection of freedom of expression, market pluralism, political independence, and social inclusion.
Although freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution, in practice it is limited due to political pressures, the interests of media owners, and organized crime.
“Although punishable by a fine, defamation remains partially criminalized in Albania, while the country has made no progress in adopting specific legislation against SLAPP lawsuits.”, the report says.
The report mentions that journalists in Albania during 2024 faced a lack of security, threats and poor working conditions, while authorities often arbitrarily denied access to public information.
Regarding market pluralism, the report mentions that this is the most at-risk area, as ownership in Albania is concentrated in the hands of a few families and there is a lack of transparency, especially for online media.
"There are no measures to prevent concentration of ownership or to control commercial influence over editorial policy," the report states.
Regarding political independence, the report highlights that many media outlets are linked to political actors or owners who benefit from public contracts, which directly affects editorial independence.
"Appointments and dismissals in public media are deeply politicized, while coverage of electoral campaigns continues to favor the main parties while leaving out minor political actors," it is said further.
Albania continues to have problems with social inclusion, as access to media for marginalized communities, people with disabilities, or ethnic groups remains limited.
According to the report, women are underrepresented in both content and leadership positions in the media. Media education policies are weak and their integration into the education system is lacking.
The report emphasizes that to advance in line with EU standards, Albania needs to make progress in several areas, such as decriminalizing defamation and adopting a law against SLAPP lawsuits.
It is also recommended to strengthen the independence of the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) and improve appointment procedures. To guarantee transparency in the ownership of all media, including online ones.
Albania has taken some steps towards compliance with European standards, with the opening of negotiations, but the report nevertheless assesses that the lack of political will, the concentration of media power and inappropriate interference in the work of journalists continue to remain serious obstacles to a free and pluralistic media environment.
He completed master's studies in Investigative Journalism at the Department of Journalism at the University of Tirana. She has been working as a journalist for five years, where she previously covered issues of politics and parliamentary activity, in print and online media. She is currently a journalist at Citizens.al, where she covers various social issues related to the transparency of institutions. At Citizens.al, she leads the podcast "The Unheard" and is engaged as a manager of projects related to the support of investigative journalism.
