Albania

Albania: MFRR and SafeJournalists condemn blatant intimidation of journalists covering parliamentary elections

22/05/2025

OBCT joins partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response and the SafeJournalists Network in raising alarm over numerous incidents of intimidation and obstruction faced by journalists covering the Albanian parliamentary elections

Albania: Media freedom groups welcome court verdict on seizure of journalist Elton Qyno’s equipment

29/04/2025

SafeJournalists Network, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcome the decision of the Constitutional Court of Albania which overturned the lower-court orders allowing the search and seizure of journalist Elton Qyno’s equipment, reinforcing the importance of protecting journalistic sources and freedom of expression in line with international standards

SafeJournalists Network and Media Freedom Rapid Response: TikTok ban in Albania threatens freedom of expression ahead of general elections

11/03/2025

SafeJournalists Network (SJN), the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, and civil society organizations express serious concern regarding the Albanian Council of Ministers' decision to suspend nationwide access to the TikTok platform for 12 months

Albania, media trapped in a triangle of pressure

22/11/2024

Journalists across Europe are often subjected to subtle forms of pressure and intimidation, including vexatious lawsuits frequently initiated by influential politicians or businesspeople. Blerjana Bino, Executive Director of SCiDEV and Researcher at the SafeJournalists Network, provides insight into the situation in the country

By Serena Epis

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Fact-Checking in Albania: Confronting Disinformation and Intimidation

11/11/2024

The disconnect between the younger generation and traditional media, the struggles to hold public institutions accountable, and the urgent need for a syndicate to protect journalists’ rights. These are just some of the challenges that the media sector has to face in Albania. An interview

By Luisa Chiodi and Sukanya Sengupta

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Addressing Key Challenges to Media Freedom in Albania and Serbia

29/10/2024

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

25/10/2024

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

14/10/2024

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

08/10/2024

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

Media Freedom in Albania: Shadow Report 2024

The shadow report complements the European Commission's rule of law report in Albania, pointing out key developments and challenges to media freedom in the country