In her remarks at the conference “Journalism in times of crisis” held in Tirana with the participation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, Ribeiro said that this year the conference about media in times of crisis intends to reaffirm the importance of journalism as an essential public good and a key pillar of democratic societies. ”

“Was last Friday a good day or a bad day for freedom of the media, maybe one could say the day when journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Moratov rightly received the Nobel Peace Prize for their hard work and the relentless protection of media freedom was a good day. A good day because the Nobel Committee specifically referred to freedom of expression and all those people supported this fundamental right in a world where democracy and freedom of the press increasingly face difficult conditions.

A sad sign of our times, one might say, where strong, independent and credible journalists are often deprived of serving the public interest to contribute to a more informed and active citizen as guardians who hold those in office accountable for providing a pluralistic media landscape, ” – stressed Ribeiro.

This prize, she continued, is necessary to emphasize once again that the ability of journalists to do their job is threatened by a number of new and old challenges that have put journalists in an increasingly problematic position and this is more true than ever.

“Throughout the OSCE region, we face an increasingly hostile environment towards the media. There is a fragile public trust and a growing anti-media sentiment exacerbated by information circulating at breakneck speed and stretching tremendously. This negative reaction is coupled with growing violence, harassment and pressure, especially against those investigating corruption cases and other problems in the public and private sectors. “On the Internet we are witnessing dangerous developments, especially those targeting women journalists, who continue to face threats that are gender specific and abuses,” said Ribeiro.

According to her, these tendencies take a dramatic toll on activities of public interest, create a climate of fear and self-censorship, threaten journalism, democratic functions and deprive the public of the essential information they need in order to fully participate in our societies.

“All of these deserve our continued attention and commitment. We need to strongly promote an independent media and support journalism standing up for public interest in all media channels, be they radio, television, print and digital media platforms,” she said.

Del Monaco: We need to support fact-based journalism

The Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Vicenzo Del Monaco, in his speech during this conference stressed that, “meaningful events do not happen by chance. They are inspired by a vision and are accompanied with the drive and the determination to aim at the latter.

“Let me express my gratitude to the Representative of Freedom of the Media, my colleague Teresa Ribeiro, for supporting today’s conference here in Tirana, as well as for the strong leadership. I also express my gratitude to Prime Minister Edi Rama for immediate support and for personal commitment. “The big events also rely on tested teams and thanks go to all the teams that did the preliminary work, from the Vienna team to the OSCE’s missions in the region, and definitely to my team as well,” he said.

He added that, “the last time this regional conference was organized in Albania was in 2013. If I can mention a personal aspect, 2013 was the year when I came to this beautiful country for the first time and since then my love for the Albanian people grows. The impressive progress that Albania has made in the meantime in many areas only deserves recognition. ”

“Journalism in times of crisis is unfortunately a very striking title. In a way, the crisis is becoming “a semblance of normalcy.” Participants who are attending the meeting online remind us of the restrictions we still face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I will not repeat here how the pandemic has taken a toll on the work of democratic institutions. We are currently experiencing a significant number of crises, both inside and outside the OSCE zone. “Whether in ‘good times’, in times of crisis, or in times of challenges, journalism continues to be an essential element of any democratic conundrum, as well as the tremendous impetus to social progress,” he said.

He added that, “the purpose of this conference is to hold an open and professional debate on the potential and challenges of the media landscape. We want to look to the future and, as this is an initiative of the OSCE, we need to set our sights on the big picture. In my eyes, the broad picture means putting individuals first, working to have open societies, and contributing to a secure international order. And, at this point, the media has a key role to play. “But above all, the media should be seen as a social synapse, as an enabler and as a means of linking up social strata, institutions, state and non-state actors and citizens.”

Let’s take a look at the figures: if we compare today’s Southeast Europe with that of 20 years ago, it is clear that the progress of the media is unquestionable. With a population of nearly 18 million citizens, this region has a very large variety of media outlets: about 3,500 media outlets are currently operating, internet penetration rates range between 80 and 90%, and 10 journalism departments in universities.
“At least in principle, these figures show general media freedom, an area where information swirls unhindered and where journalists interact with each another. It is no coincidence that the OSCE Presence in Albania is holding, in parallel with this conference, a Youth Trail meeting, a program that aims to provide connectivity for young journalists as well. We want young people to make their voice heard in how the media shapes their lives, our lives. “And I wanted to have this discussion here in Tirana, where next year the events will take place in the light of the European Youth Capital,” he continued.

He added that, “this general freedom of the media should never and nowhere be taken for granted. And when impediments arise, they must be dealt with promptly and seriously. For example, we need to ensure that journalists have the opportunity to work in a permissive, secure environment that in principle provides free access to information. We must support fact-based journalism, resolutely reject fake news, and make sure journalists are independent in their work from control of media ownership. “I am talking about an environment that reflects today’s reality, social diversity and pluralism.”
“Let me now bring some insights on some of the other panels. The bottom line is that journalism is a strategic partner of state institutions and citizens in efforts to free society, confront polarization, and build security. It is not necessarily a “new division of labour”. “I think in fact that perhaps it is not enough to take stock of such a great truth,” he continued.

“Let’s take a step back and look at the big picture again. When we examine today’s dynamics, we see two different worlds. The first is a world with national borders; it is the world we have learned in school, at least in my time; thus, the result of classical interstate relations of a Westphalian character. The second is a world with an unprecedented number of networks, the so-called “connected” world. It is the world we see from space thanks to the corridors of light; “The world of digital platforms,” he said.

He continued, “Facebook, for example, has 2.85 billion monthly users worldwide, a figure that is twice the population of the OSCE region (about 1 billion 289 million inhabitants). “Instagram alone, with one billion users worldwide, is approaching the number of citizens living in the entire OSCE region.”

“These figures are a reflection of the strength and potential the connected world, individuals, but also the giants of new digital platforms have. It is not enough to just connect to get people really connected. “To connect people, we need to give them a sense of purpose, and again we really need the media, the good media, to help us achieve this major goal,” he said.
In the end, I would place the cursor on us, the OSCE and my colleagues in the diplomatic corps. What is our role here? I truly believe that we still have a tremendous role to play in helping people connect, giving them a sense of purpose, working together against polarization, and for a more secure world. Diplomats as bearers of a new diplomacy in a new world. This is exactly what we as the OSCE are doing: we listen to all interlocutors without exception and provide a neutral table for those who are willing to engage in dialogue, support policies and connect. Given that we truly believe in the great added value that the involvement of individuals in the security discourse has, we have embraced approach with the whole society together and we concretely include youth and gender access in all our program activities, which was greeted by all the interlocutors during the last visit of the OSCE Chairwoman-in-Office, a few days ago.
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