How thoroughly is press freedom protected in Albania, and is self-censorship prevalent? : A qualitative study analyzing the media climate in Albania through interviews with eight journalists.

Abstract: In recent years, the way Albanians consume news has changed radically. They have abandoned traditional media, and instead, a large majority now rely on television, social media, and online media as their primary source of information. The journalists I have interviewed say that the change has led to a deterioration in journalistic quality. According to them, consumers are no longer interested in the underlying causes; instead, most want journalism to be mixed with entertainment.   In 2022, wealthy businessmen continued to buy media outlets, which, i.a. Reporters Without Borders consider worrisome. Today, freedom of the press suffers from the fact that the owners of the media outlets can, to a large extent, control the reporting, which benefits their other businesses on the side. The country is also corrupt, enabling close ties between media owners, politicians, and organized crime. In Albania, during the spring, the population expressed dissatisfaction with the low wages and high petrol prices, which in May 2022 was one of the highest in the world.   The results I have reached show that freedom of the press in Albania is not doing well, and several of the journalists I interviewed admit that they have at some point censored their reporting out of fear of consequences.