BIRN Albania Presents Survey on Journalists’ Safety and Media Freedom

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The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania, the Science and Development network SCiDEV and Faktoje on Thursday in Tirana presented the preliminary findings of a survey on journalists’ safety and media freedom.

Photo: SCiDEV

The findings were presented at a roundtable with experts, stakeholders and representatives of the donor community in Albania. The roundtable aimed to enhance collaboration between local media, CSOs, academia, and journalists to promote media freedom.

The survey, which included 133 reporters and editors, revealed a number of worrying trends. Nearly 50 per cent of surveyed journalists said they face pressures, intimidation and threats.

Journalists are most vulnerable when reporting on corruption, organized crime, or corporate issues and the main sources of threats are named as public officials, media owners, crime groups, and political parties.

The survey data are part of an upcoming in-depth study, which aims to inform stakeholder on the state of media freedom in Albania as it gears to negotiate the EU accession process with Brussels.

The survey was conducted as part of a three-year project, “Strengthening Media Freedom, Professionalism, and Journalists’ Safety in Albania,” implemented by SCiDEV, BIRN Albania and Faktoje, with the support of the EU, aimed at monitoring and promoting Albania’s progress in line with EU recommendations.