web counter
LEXO PA REKLAMA!

SHKARKO APP

App Store
Google Play

FREEDOM HOUSE Report: Some media are bought by the government

2024-04-11 07:26:00, Aktualitet CNA

FREEDOM HOUSE Report: Some media are bought by the government

The FREEDOM HOUSE report for 2024 reveals that the media in Albania is deteriorating.

According to the report, some media receive subsidies from the government in exchange for favorable coverage.

It is also emphasized that during the last years there is a growing tendency of businessmen who buy media to promote the owners' economic interests and political agendas.

Among other things, it is underlined that political and business interference pushes journalists to engage in self-censorship.

"Furthermore, according to MOM Albania, some media companies receive subsidies from the central and local government in exchange for favorable coverage.

EU and local observers have raised concerns about the growing trend in recent years of business groups buying media to promote the owners' economic interests and political agendas.

The concentration of media ownership in Albania is made possible by the lack of transparency in media ownership laws and policies, especially on how the media is financed.

Political and business interference drives journalists to engage in self-censorship, and during local elections, there were several instances of erosion of editorial autonomy, leaving journalists vulnerable to pressure from media owners and politicians to inform the public.

For example, it was common practice for major political parties and public institutions to provide the media with pre-recorded footage of political and campaign events during local elections. This footage was widely used by broadcasters in their programming, including in news reports, and often without proper fact-checking, a practice that domestic observers and the ODIHR have noted limits editorial independence, the report said./ CNA





Lajmet e fundit nga