Over the past five years, the Albanian media landscape has undergone a deep transformation with the expansion of online media. On one hand, this has contributed to increased access to information and reduced the absolute control once exercised by traditional television and print media. On the other hand, the uncontrolled development of these media has brought serious consequences for the quality of information and professional ethics.
Online media have often served as a tool to bring to public attention events and scandals that previously remained unnoticed, due to self-censorship or the economic and political interests of traditional media. This development has created more space for independent reporting and transparency in issues of public interest.
A free ground for dangerous abuses
However, this rapid growth has not come without cost. An increasing number of portals have been created uncontrollably, often without transparency about ownership, without clear editorial structures, and, more worryingly, without editorial responsibility.
Various national and international reports signal the use of these portals as tools of attack against individuals, political groups, or economic actors. Numerous cases show that these sites, which can be launched with little investment, have been used for blackmail, pressure on businesses, or on behalf of political and criminal groups.
A widely denounced episode occurred a few months ago when the Albanian police arrested two police officers and a journalist for the deliberate dissemination of false news against senior police officials. The case revealed the dangerous intertwining between state structures and media used as weapons of propaganda or defamation.
U.S. State Department Report: Corruption, blackmail, and market control
The U.S. State Department’s annual report on media freedom in Albania clearly highlights concern about the phenomenon of “extortion” by certain portals against businesses. The document also mentions the leak of salary data in December 2021 and January 2022, where suspicious payments to journalists and media involved in pro-incinerator propaganda were identified.
“There is a media boom, especially online, presenting a wide spectrum of viewpoints without authorship and without accountability,” the report states. But it further emphasizes, “the majority of media are owned by businessmen with multiple interests, who use them for political and economic gains or as a counterweight to their rivals.”
There are “credible reports” that some media are used for economic blackmail, through paid publications, slander, or threats of negative exposure if payments are not made.
Portals with tainted names in diplomatic reporting
In an internal report by a diplomatic agency in Tirana, circulated within the diplomatic and political network, it is stated that a group of businessmen have filed official complaints with foreign embassies about several well-known portals, which are mentioned as jo* alb***ia; de*****mi, pa*****ti; vo****ews, no****ada, za***iri, etc.
In the absence of a clear self-regulation mechanism, and with a weak regulatory authority, these portals operate in an uncontrolled and irresponsible environment.
A broken advertising market and lack of transparency
Another major problem aggravating this situation is the state of the advertising market in Albania. Instead of businesses investing in advertising based on audience criteria and impact, advertisements are often used as tools to buy silence or avoid criticism from problematic portals. This further worsens the media environment and fosters the financial dependence of many media on non-transparent interests.
More freedom, more responsibility
The growth of online media has brought more opportunities for reporting, pluralism, and denunciation. But in the absence of clear regulation and professional ethics, it has also opened a dangerous door for misuse, defamation, and blackmail.
If this freedom is not accompanied by standards, transparency, and regulation, it may turn into a weapon against the very public interest it claims to protect. Albania needs not only more media, but more responsible media.-tiranalajm
