Reporters Without Borders has sounded the alarm over the Albanian government’s plans for a centralized Agency for Media and Information which would act as a single point of contact for journalists wanting information on anything to do with the government, ministers, ministries, or other state matters.
The creation of the agency, which will be funded from the state budget, was announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama during his government’s first meeting. At a time the country is still suffering the fall-out from the 2019 earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic, and struggling to properly fund education, state spending on this matter drew criticism.
Furthermore, local media organizations and journalists have spoken of their concerns that it will further impede press freedom. They believe it’s a move to further consolidate control over the media, along with the appointment Rama’s former communications chief as head of the Audiovisual Media Authority and possible approval of the anti-defamation package.
RSF urged Prime Minister Edi Rama to provide guarantees that the new agency will improve, and not impede journalists’ access to information.
#Albania: As Prime Minister @ediramaal starts a new mandate, @RSF_inter urges him to provide guarantees that the new agency centralising all ministries' communication with the media under the PM's office will improve & not impede journalists' access to information. pic.twitter.com/uPSdQlSggI
— RSF in English (@RSF_en) September 28, 2021
The new agency, reportedly to be headed by Rama’s current Director of Communications Endri Fuga will also be in charge of disseminating information and press releases to the media. Other duties include monitoring local and international media, and public discourse relating to the government.
The government claims the agency will “increase the transparency and information capacity for the public and media, as well as to inform the Council of Ministers on the issues presented in the daily news,” but others aren’t so sure.
Ermal Hasimja, a politics and communications expert, told DW that he is skeptical.
“We all fear this agency will be used as a means of reinforcing the government’s ability to put pressure on the media. What’s more, when it comes to political communication, it will really increase the government’s monitoring and control capabilities. Yet nothing has fundamentally changed: the government is simply giving its ongoing efforts to monitor and control the media a more institutional framework.”
Lindita Cela from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project called the move arrogant and said it is nothing more than a “control structure.”
“This is not because its main mission is to convey government propaganda to the public but because I find the government’s arrogant use of Albanian taxpayers’ money to establish a massive control structure very problematic.”
The Albanian government has also claimed the new agency is based on European models, such as those in Italy and Germany, but has provided no proof of this.
