The Association of European Journalists has condemned the exclusion of Syri journalist Ambrozia Meta from taking part in a media discussion with Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Through an official statement, the AEJ states that such an event shows discrimination by political parties of critical media:
“Our concern is related to the exclusion of the Syri television journalist from a political activity of the Socialist Party. An episode that shows that the media, especially the critical one, is discriminated against in unfair ways. We call on political parties to be more transparent with the media and to respect journalists.
AEJ Albania branch appeals to the political factor to be more careful in respecting the rights of journalists as one of the fundamental rights for a democratic state where society aspires. “
The reaction came after journalist Ambrozia Meta was not allowed to take part in Rama’s discussion with journalists on Sunday, October 4th.
She asked Rama’s coordinator for the press, on Sunday morning if Rama would hold a conversation with journalists, but the coordinator answered ‘no’. A few hours later Rama appeared in a conversation with journalists.
This is a common practice in Albania whereby political parties will handpick the journalists they engage with. Rama is also known for not allowing open press conferences and only communicating with a handful of media portals or platforms.
In December 2019, Exit News was excluded from a consultation on the media law at Parliament. Journalists were told they could submit their comments via email but were not allowed to attend the consultation despite it supposedly being open. No reason was given for the decision.
