Koloreto Cukali, Director of the Media Council, has called the attack of President Tedi Blushi on the journalist Carlo Bollino “intolerable”.
In an interview with Report TV on Sunday, he said that “aggressive and offensive language towards journalists, regardless of which party they come from”, should be banned:
“The Malavita-type labels used by the president’s spokesman are intolerable in a free media environment. Journalists should do their job and should not be attacked. If there are facts let the facts come out. Aggressive and offensive language towards journalists regardless of which party they come from is intolerable. Aggressive language towards journalists has a purpose, to shut up. “It’s a clear threat to journalists.”
He called on journalists to protect each other from allowing such attacks:
” The first thing that needs to happen is for the community of journalists to come together to not allow such language to be used against every journalist and every media outlet. We should try to separate the things that are political, from the media and business. We need to create a culture where a man in power cannot attack the journalist. This culture is changing by strengthening solidarity among journalists .”
The clash between the institution of the President and Carlo Bollino, the owner of Report TV television, started after an investigation made by the latter for granting Albanian citizenship to foreigners.
