TIRANA, Dec. 12 – Albania’s media community has been urged by international representatives to “self regulate” to fight fake news, libelous articles and undue violations of privacy.
The comments came at a conference organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania this week.
Ambassador Bernd Borchardt told Forum for Media Development, press freedom is the foundation of democracy, but on the other hand, the media is responsible for respecting professional standards.
“Badly researched stories can even end up with defamation cases. We should all be aware that court cases can set precedents that can negatively affect the state of freedom of media, leading to self-censorship and hampering journalists’ right or ability and willingness to write critically. I hope that judges dealing with such cases have the sensitive balance between the protection of the individual and the absolutely necessary freedom of the media in mind when they decide this kind of cases,” Borchardt said. “Always bear in mind, please, that it is easier to defend a journalist when he or she is complying with professional standards. We are looking forward discussing ways of promoting quality journalism with you today. Having effective and credible self-regulation mechanisms is the best barrier against interventions from authorities.”
The head of the EU Delegation in Albania, Romana Vlahutin, said that internationals are ready to help the media improve their role and position in Albanian democracy.
“Self-regulation of the situation can be done Albanian journalists’ associations, and the EU is ready to help them in this process,” Ambassador Vlahutin said. “On the other hand, the Albanian authorities should facilitate the gathering of information, especially on procurement and contracts, and everything related to public money and finances.”
The head of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Media, Albana Vokshi, a leading opposition MP, spoke about the daily challenges of Albanian media, and what she said were political pressures on independent media and “government propaganda.”
The third Media Development Forum was a roundtable, where OSCE aims to facilitate professional dialogue on the most important problems of Albanian media.
It was attended by leaders in Albania’s media community and some of the country’s top journalists.
