TIRANA/BRUSSELS, May 27 (BV) — Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Albanian Media Council have launched a new roadmap aimed at strengthening press freedom, journalist safety and media independence in Albania as the country advances in European Union accession negotiations.
The recommendations were prepared following consultations with representatives of Albania’s independent media community and are intended to contribute to the EU’s “Structured Dialogue on Media Freedom,” a mechanism linked to Albania’s accession process.
Albania ranked 99th out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by RSF, placing it last among countries in the EU-Balkans region.
RSF’s EU-Balkans office head Pavol Szalai said the recommendations were designed to support public interest journalism and strengthen democratic safeguards in a country where media freedom faces pressure “at all levels.”
The roadmap focuses on three main priorities: journalist safety, media independence and long-term financial sustainability for independent journalism.
RSF and the Albanian Media Council called for stronger legal protections against abusive lawsuits known as SLAPPs, greater safeguards for journalistic sources and the establishment of a national action plan for journalist safety.
The document also recommends stricter transparency rules on media ownership and stronger protections for Albania’s public broadcaster RTSH to reduce political and business influence over editorial policies.
Another key proposal involves economic incentives for media organizations that comply with trusted journalistic standards, including the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), alongside ethical advertising practices and support for digital subscription models.
Koloreto Cukali, president of the Albanian Media Council, warned that growing authoritarian tendencies, propaganda and financial dependence were undermining public trust in Albanian media.
“Financial independence is a crucial starting point,” Cukali said, arguing that media outlets must serve the public interest rather than political, business or criminal interests.
The initiative comes at a sensitive political moment as Albania intensifies efforts to close negotiation chapters with the European Union.
Media freedom, judicial independence and anti-corruption reforms remain central conditions within the EU accession process for candidate countries in the Western Balkans.
The roadmap is expected to become part of broader discussions between Brussels and Tirana regarding democratic standards and institutional reforms required for Albania’s future EU membership.