The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today join an open letter to Prime Minister Edi Rama from international press freedom groups over decision to ban journalists from press conferences.
The MFRR, together with Safe Journalists Network and RSF, have written Mr. Besnik Dervishi, Commissioner for the Right to Access to Information and Personal Data Protection of Albania, calling for a thorough investigation into a recent private data breach and intimidation of journalists in Albania.
New government Media and Information Agency (MIA) up and running. Lines of communication between the Albanian government and the media have long been tenuous. Whoever is in power picks and chooses the media they interact with and feeds them with information to report, whereas those who are out of favour or ask difficult questions often find themselves sidelined.
The partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are worried about developments in Albania this week. Cyber-attacks on news outlets believed to be in relation to their reporting on Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj and the appointment of government loyalist Endri Fuga to lead the Media and Information Agency add to existing challenges for media freedom in the country.
Anti-defamation package and new information agency pose fresh challenges
Alice Taylor, IPI member & co-editor of exit.al
MFRR partners have serious concerns about plans for a new agency that would centralise control over the government’s public relations within a single entity
The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today expresses deep concern about the future impartiality and independence of Albania’s Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) following the election of a close associate of the ruling Socialist Party to head the media regulator.
Concerns over new restrictions for journalists and media workers in access to Parliament
ECPMF, as part of the MFRR, is concerned about legal proceedings initiated by the Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Defence, against journalist Juljana Ristani, who published a story on undue interference with lists of nominees for educational bursaries in the context of a public competition held by the Ministry of Defence.
The continued use of legal threats in Albania against journalists and media workers threatens media and press freedom. As part of the MFRR, ECPMF condemns these attempts to silence critical reporting through the abuse of Albania’s legal system.
