Addressing Key Challenges to Media Freedom in Albania and Serbia - Article

To contribute to the European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring, OBCT, in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS, produced two Shadow Reports outlining the challenges and gaps in media freedom in Albania and Serbia. The main findings were presented during a webinar

By Serena Epis, Sukanya Sengupta

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Country Report: Albania - Article

The media sector in Albania is rather unstable. While certain areas have seen progress, the state of media freedom and protection for journalists remains precarious and needs stronger safeguards

By Sukanya Sengupta 

Islands of integrity: the struggle of independent media in Albania - Article

Lufti Dervishi, a founding member of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, emphasises the challenges that Albanian journalism faces today. The media are entangled in corruption, self-censorship, and state-sponsored disinformation. However, not everything is negative, and there is still reason for hope

By Luisa Chiodi, Sukanya Sengupta

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

SafeJournalists and MFRR: Smear campaigns against independent media and civil society organizations must stop - Article

SafeJournalists Network and organizations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) strongly condemn the attacks on the Council of Media Ethics of Albania (KSHM) and the think tank - Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV) that has issued a shadow report on media freedom in Albania, as well as on researcher Blerjana Bino

Albania: freedom of the press crushed by the weight of politics - Article

Almost non-existent professional ethics, capture of the media by politics and financial unsustainability are just some of the main issues that make the Albanian media landscape particularly alarming. An interview

By Luisa Chiodi

Originally published on OBCT , also available in ITA

Albania: urgent measures needed to safeguard journalists - Article

OBCT condemns recent attacks against journalists in Albania and calls on authorities to ensure press freedom in the country

Also available in ITA

Albania: Press freedom organisations and journalist associations call for swift justice following deadly attack on Top Channel - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in urging Albania’s authorities to pursue the perpetrators who shot dead Pal Kola, Albanian TV station Top channel’s security guard

Albania: Investigations needed over intimidation of journalists reporting on prosecutor’s vetting - Article

Together with other media freedom and journalists’ organisations, we sent a letter to the Albanian Commissioner for the Right to Access to Information and Personal Data Protection to express our serious concern over the recent private data breaches and intimidation of at least two journalists

Albania: news outlets faced cyber attacks following reports about Mayor of Tirana - Article

Cyber-attacks on news outlets believed to be in relation to their reporting on Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj and the appointment of government loyalist Endri Fuga to lead the Media and Information Agency add to existing challenges for media freedom in Albania. We call for a swift and effective investigation into these attacks and condemn the appointment of Fuga to head the newly established agency

Albania: MFRR urges government to scrap new Media and Information Agency - Article

MFRR partners express concern over a new Media and Information Agency that would centralise control over the government's public relations within a single entity. Until greater safeguards can be established to ensure the agency operates in a fair and transparent manner, we urge the government to cancel its establishment