TIRANA, Oct 29 /ATA/ The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Public Information, Democratic MP Jorida Tabaku, emphasized today that the media sector remains a priority for the Democratic Party.
During the 20th session of the Albania-EU Parliamentary Stabilization and Association Committee, Tabaku addressed remarks by Taulant Balla, chairman of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, who cited a report from the Audiovisual Media Authority showing that the Democratic Party leader had more television airtime on four national channels than the Prime Minister and the Socialist Party leader combined.
Tabaku stated, “Albania’s backsliding in the media sector has been highlighted in numerous reports, including those by OSCE/ODIHR. The chart Balla presented coincides with August of this year, when the entire government was on vacation, while the opposition used the time and space to reach out to citizens.”
Tabaku emphasized that, according to the OSCE-ODIHR report, most Albanian media outlets are perceived as aligned with the Socialist Party, highlighting the need to protect editorial independence, especially at TVSH and the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA).
Tabaku highlighted that Albanian media are politically influenced and government-aligned, with journalists facing attacks, restricted access to officials, fewer press conferences, and coordinated messaging through the Prime Minister’s MIA, according to the OSCE-ODIHR report.
Tabaku emphasized that media reform is a top priority for the Democratic Party, focusing on decriminalizing defamation and protecting journalists from government lawsuits and verbal attacks.
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