The upcoming spring elections in Albania, expected by April or May 2025, which will determine the new parliament and government, will be monitored by the media under significant restrictions. This marks the fourth consecutive election cycle where political parties have systematically limited journalists access to campaign events, opting instead to rely on their own recording, editing, and broadcasting systems for public dissemination. These practices represent a troubling trend, eroding journalistic independence and undermining transparency in the electoral process.
Journalists face numerous barriers in their work, beginning with the lack of access to candidates’ schedules. Media outlets are not informed about daily or weekly activities of electoral candidates, including those running for prime minister, making it impossible to provide on-the-ground coverage of campaign meetings with voters. Even when journalists learn about such events through unofficial channels and attempt to report from these locations, they are frequently barred entry by the candidates’ security teams or press offices. This restriction is especially pronounced for events involving major political figures.
Instead, journalists are compelled to rely on livestreams provided by candidates on social media platforms. These streams are carefully controlled, with cameras turned on and off or focused in ways that serve the campaign’s propagandistic objectives. In other cases, press offices distribute pre-packaged materials to newsrooms, complete with selective editing and embellishments. These materials omit critical perspectives, fail to provide a comprehensive view of events, and exclude voices that might challenge or scrutinize the narrative presented.
The Albanian Journalists’ Association (Asocacioni i Gazetarëve të Shqipërisë – AGSH – https://agsh.al/) has consistently raised concerns about this state of affairs. Isa Myzyraj, President of AGSH, has denounced the dissemination of ready-made campaign footage as blatant propaganda that strikes at the core of press freedom and democracy. He has emphasized that journalists must be allowed to attend and report on all public events without restriction, presenting these activities from their own perspective to the public. Myzyraj argues that restricting media access and serving curated content undermines journalistic integrity and distorts the reality of electoral processes.
You can read the AGSH article: https://agsh.al/2024/11/25/media-do-ti-nenshtrohet-vullnetit-te-partive-per-te-punuar-mbi-materiale-te-gatshme-edhe-ne-keto-zgjedhje/
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the systematic exclusion of journalists from direct access to election campaign activities in Albania, a practice that undermines media freedom, transparency, and democratic accountability. Replacing independent reporting with controlled propaganda through curated materials and restricted access is a blatant attack on press freedom and the public’s right to accurate information. SEEMO urges immediate reforms to ensure media can operate independently and freely, holding political actors accountable. SEEMO will continue to monitor this situation closely and advocate for measures that restore media’s role as a critical pillar of democracy. SEEMO is supporting the Albanian Journalists’ Association – AGSH – in fight for press freedom in Albania.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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