Rama's statements on the role and future of RTSH/ SafeJournalists Network reacts

2026-01-19 16:08:00, Aktualitet CNA

Rama's statements on the role and future of RTSH/ SafeJournalists Network

The SafeJournalists Network has reacted today regarding the public statements made by Prime Minister Edi Rama regarding Albanian Radio Television.

Through a statement, the SafeJournalists Network expresses concern about the statements, which relate to the role, funding and future of RTSH, the Albanian public broadcaster.

The statements were made during a meeting of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, in which Rama, among other things, harshly criticized RTSH, stating that it should be reformed or temporarily closed.

“In his speech, the Prime Minister described RTSH as a failed institution, questioned its legitimacy as a public broadcaster, and stated that public funding should be stopped until RTSH “deserves” it. He also added that all options should be considered for the future of RTSH, including privatization and even closure.

While public debate on the effectiveness, governance and reform of public service media is legitimate, the SafeJournalists Network stresses that public service broadcasters have a unique democratic role. Their mandate is not determined by market performance or political approval, but by the obligation to serve the public interest, to guarantee pluralistic information, to support cultural and educational content, and to operate independently from political and commercial pressures.

From a freedom of expression perspective, linking the existence or funding of a public broadcaster to executive assessments of “merit” raises serious concerns. Such an approach risks undermining the principle of arm’s-length governance, which is essential to European standards on media freedom. Even in the absence of immediate legal or budgetary measures, public statements of this nature can exert indirect pressure on editorial independence, contribute to institutional uncertainty and encourage self-censorship within editorial offices.

The SafeJournalists Network is particularly concerned by the normalisation of “closure” as a publicly articulated option for a public service broadcaster. In European democratic practice, the central question is not whether public service media should exist, but how their governance, accountability and independence can be strengthened in line with democratic standards. Treating the continued existence of a public service broadcaster as contingent on political convenience risks weakening the institutional safeguards that protect journalistic freedom.

These developments are also important in the context of Albania's accession process to the European Union, particularly within the framework of Chapter Group 1 – Fundamentals, where media freedom, institutional independence and democratic mechanisms of checks and balances constitute key criteria. A stable, independent and adequately protected public service broadcaster is an essential component of a sustainable democratic information environment.

The SafeJournalists Network recalls that criticism of media performance should be addressed through transparent reform processes, based on law, through independent oversight bodies and an inclusive public debate, and not through rhetoric that could compromise institutional independence and fuel public distrust or hostility towards the RTSH.

SafeJournalists has consistently supported structural reforms that strengthen the editorial independence and public accountability of RTSH, while enabling the public broadcaster to transform itself in the digital age and effectively respond to the diverse informational, cultural and democratic needs of citizens, particularly through transparent and lawful selection of directors, predictable and protected funding schemes, and governance measures that protect the professional autonomy and labor rights of journalists.

"We encourage the Albanian authorities to reaffirm their commitment to European standards of public service media and to ensure that any discussion on reforming RTSH is conducted in a manner that fully respects freedom of expression, the independence of journalism and the public's right to be informed," the statement stressed./CNA