Postcards paid from Tirana

2024-03-27 18:30:00, Opinione Andi Bushati

Analyst Andi Bushati

The translation into Albanian of a translated article of the Italian lifestyle magazine Vanity Fair caused a small controversy in the local media. TV and online propaganda newspapers cheered loudly for this new success of the country, led by the renaissance.

While a few scrupulous journalists, among those who know how to read between the lines, noticed a small detail that hid a big anomaly. In the illustrative photos of this article, the historical buildings of Tirana were fixed with all their magic, but the skyscrapers that are taking its breath away were nowhere to be seen. Thus, in the "postcard" the intact building of the National Theater could still be seen, from the space in front of it the minaret of the mosque, now hidden behind the towers, could be seen, while from Skënderbej square, the clock could be seen without the skyscrapers in the background.

So, the tourists who are invited to visit today's Tirana are being lied to by the bait of a city that we have already disappeared.

Despite the fact that Lapsi.al, like some other independent media, saw this manipulation with the images from this point of view, the essence of this story lies elsewhere. The news is no longer about the retouching of photos with towers, for which Erion Veliaj (link below) has broken records for funnyness. The debate is not only about the hypocrisy of those who, when they grant permission, stigmatize critics as culphobes, while when they advertise themselves, they erase these monuments of money laundering from the background.

The presence of "false photos" in the article shows another thing. As long as there are images without towers that the government promotes, suspicions are added that "Vanity Fair" has not made a journalistic article, but a sponsored article. So, the Italian magazine did not bring its photojournalist along with the journalist here, to reflect Tirana as it is today, but illustrated the text with the images that were served to the client.

So far everything is normal. The government, despite not accepting it, does well to pay for the promotion of tourism in the international market. She even has an obligation to do such a thing.

But, the problem starts when the local propaganda trumpets start blaring. The first to post the Vanity Fair link was Edi Rama , who with a surprising ease, which would make any Italian journalist laugh, raised it to the rank of a prestigious magazine. Immediately, the media that believe the prime minister as a prophet, Shqiptarja.com, TV Klan, Koha Jonë, reported on the great event that took place on the pages of the Italian "prestige". The entire media was flooded with the propaganda of those who, from the isolation of their balcony, Sali Berisha earned the nickname "tele-tourism".

This is exactly where the sad truth of this manipulation lies. Not only the fact that the renaissance pays to lure foreign tourists with a Tirana that no longer exists. But that she, above all, lies to the Albanians to sell them a fable of peace. Using articles that she has sponsored herself, she imposes on them the narrative of an Albania that is so flourishing that it is also enraging the international media.