Speaking about ATA’s performance, Zhupa pointed out that the news organization is the main source of information collecting and disseminating information and news in Albania and in the international scene  and remains the only official news agency in Albania with its wire-service providing information inthree languages – Albanian, English and French – and gathers information about a wide variety of news events happening around the world in English, French and Italian.

“ATA has established contractual relationships and cooperates with around 40 international news agencies and media partners. ATA is a full-fledged member of largest media organizations in Europe and in a wider region, including the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA), Association of the Balkan News Agencies-Southeast Europe (ABNA-SE|) or the Alliance of Mediterranean news Agencies (AMAN),” Zhupa said.

She underlined that ATA staff make efforts not only to inform correctly about the news events locally and internationally, but also to cope with the challenge of “fake news”, a worrying phenomenon around the world.

“ATA keeps providing and publishing on its official website stories about political, economic, cultural, sport events, feature stories, interviews and documentaries on tourism, as well as translations from leading international media on top tourist destinations in a bid to promote Albanian tourism at a local and international level, being a trustworthy partner in building a brilliant image of Albania as one the most sought-after tourist destinations in the international market,” she added.

“Albania’s membership in the European Union has enhanced ATA’s importance. The information we disseminate remains unbiased, increasing the demand of European news agencies to sign contractual relations with ATA,” she said.

ATA Director General also informed lawmakers in the Parliamentary Committee on the Media about the cooperation agreements signed in one year only, singling out the deal with the Portuguese news agency LUSA, Greek news agency ANA MPA, Belgian news agency Belga News, as well as with the Spain’s international news agency EFE.

Zhupa also drew the lawmakers’ attention to ATA’s full-fledged membership in the Brussels-based European Newsroom, a unique project reflecting Europe-s spirit, where, together with 18 more news agencies, ATA has continued the fact-based and independent reporting of news and developments in the country.

She also noted that ATA has launched its first app in the media market.

“ATA developed and launched a mobile portal for its local and international readers, who can now easily access to the agency’s news text, photos and videos via mobile phones or other social media and online platforms,” ATA Director General explained.

Pointing out the issues facing ATA, Zhupa underlined that the news agency still operates according to a decree issues in 1954 and therefore demanded that new legislation is approved.

“We are working with a group of experts to draft a bill on the functioning of ATA, seeking to draft a complex legislation in order to optimize the approach towards a standard that will guide our institution,” she said.

Zhupa called for the Committee members for a more advanced technological infrastructure for ATA.

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