The Instrumentalisation of Media in Albania
The Instrumentalisation of Media in Albania

Summary/Abstract: Abstract. The importance of the media for democracy is at least twofold; they provide a space for public deliberation, and they serve as a watchdog of accountability over the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. This paper argues that the media in Albania fail to perform these two functions due to their ownership and financing structure. The key print media outlets in Albania are owned by private individuals or businesses who use and finance them primarily to promote their own interests. Therefore, to a considerable degree, the media is reduced to functioning as an instrument of those who finance it. In his argument, the author also considers the role of international actors and sponsors. The Albanian setting is contextualized on the basis of other European countries’ media landscapes, as to avoid any stereotypical placement of post-socialist (failed) democratisation.

• Details
• Contents