Category: Outputs

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania, together with Science and Innovation for Development Center, SCiDEV, on July 14 published a reporter on Chinese propaganda in the Albanian language.

The report, “Media Analysis: China’s Public Diplomacy in Albania”, was authored Blerjana Bino and Besar Likmeta and funded by the European Union.

This analysis delves into the main narratives produced by Chinese state-sponsored media outlets operating within Albania, a topic which remains understudied despite its increasing relevance.

As China’s economic and political presence grows worldwide, understanding how it projects its influence and shapes local perceptions is becoming crucial.

This research is particularly relevant given the rise of China’s economic and cultural diplomacy in Albania, the geopolitical dynamics at play and the media’s pivotal role in transmitting narratives.

For an English copy of the report click here.

For an Albanian copy of the report click here.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania, together with Science and Innovation for Development Center, SCiDEV, on July 14 published a report on Iranian propaganda in the Albanian language.

The report: “Media Analysis: Iran’s Propaganda in Albanian Language”, was authored by Blerjana Bino and Besar Likmeta and funded by the European Union.

This study of Iran’s public diplomacy in Albania through its state-sponsored media outlets is a crucial and relevant task, particularly as information warfare forms a key component of modern geopolitical strategy.

In the context of growing tensions between Albania and Iran, this investigation into Iran’s messaging is a critical step towards understanding its influence and intentions.

For a copy of the report in English click here.

For a copy of the report in Albanian click here.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania on July 14 published a study on false news and information manipulation on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The report: “False News on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine in the Albanian-Language Media”, was authored by Kristina Voko and Besar Likmeta and financed by the European Union.

This research found that, in contrast to what has been previously reported, false news on Ukraine has proliferated in the first eight-months of 2022 in Albanian-language media outlets in Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia.

This false news output, which is mainly generated abroad and distributed on social media platforms, has been translated and republished by local media. These comprise digital native media websites, television, radio and newspapers as well as their social media channels, mainly for commercial reasons.

For an English copy of the report click here.

For an Albanian copy of the report click here

The report, titled “Russian State-Sponsored Disinformation Narratives in Albania”, was authored by Kristina Voko and Besar Likmeta and financed by the European Union.

The aim of the study is to outline and map the reach of pro-Kremlin narratives in the Albanian media by tracking the republication of statements and news by state-sponsored Russian media outlets and identifying key narratives.

In addition to the disinformation identified in the Albanian-language media outlets, the researchers also analysed posts made on the official Facebook page of the Russian embassy in Tirana in the first eight months of 2022 to identify recurring Russian disinformation narratives spread through this social media channel.

For an Enligsh copy of the report click here

For an Albanian copy of the report click here

The report uses both qualitative and quantitative data to analyse the coverage of women candidates in the 2023 local elections, in online media outlets and social media networks, including Facebook and Instagram.

It provides insight on ad spending on social media by women candidates and their portrayal in the media.

The report also provides a qualitative analysis of the coverage of women political candidates in online and social media during the campaign and the political discourse on women as voters.

The report aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of online media and social media coverage of the political discourse and portrayal of women, both as political candidates and as voters, during the 2023 local elections in Albania.

The report was co-authored by BIRN Albania staff and by Professor Izela Tahsini, lecturer at the Department of Social Work and Social Policy at the University of Tirana.

The report made use of two social media listening tools for the data analysis, Sentione and Crowdtangle.

To download the Albanian copy of the report click here

To download the English version of the report click here

The brief, written by the legal expert Emirjon Marku, covers the rules and regulations on the processing of personal data for journalistic purpose and on cases of exemptions, as well as providing a primer on the EU’s General Data Protection Directive, which Albania is in the process of transposing.

The policy brief introduces journalists and editors to the legal framework and aims to arm them with the knowledge to navigate those cases when the right to privacy outweighs freedom of expression or vice-versa.

This document aims to remind journalists, editors and media directors of the boundaries of co-existence of these constitutional freedoms and rights in Albania – to help them to understand how to achieve the necessary balance between these constitutional rights whilst exercising their profession.

The brief aims to offer guidance on approaching principles of data protection legislation, including ethical considerations.

For an Albanian copy of the policy brief click here

For an English copy of the policy brief click here

This report was produced as part of the project ‘Towards Improved Labour Relations and Professionalism in the Albanian Media’, funded by the European Commission, represented by Delegation of the European Union to Albania and implemented by the partnership of the Albanian Media Institute (AMI) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Through this study on internet governance, BIRN Albania aims to provide a realistic and easily-grasped review of the current legal landscape for online media and content providers, as well as explore the primary issues and processes that overlap between media development and internet governance, in order to inform stakeholders and the public debate.

The report explores a number of topics where internet governance and regulation intersect with online media, market conditions, financial regulations, ownership and competition, access to information and data protection, and copyright and cyber-security, while providing real-world examples of situations in which the abuse or poor definition of these regulations leads to restrictions on freedom of the media and freedom of expression in the country.

For an English-language copy of the report, click here.
For an Albanian-language copy of the report, click here.