A simple April Fool’s joke has laid bare issues with Albanian media, left some of the country’s biggest portals red-faced, and resulted in a plethora of conspiracy theories.
On 1 April, commonly known as April Fool’s Day, a day for making jokes and pranks, Twitter user with the name Suzana Starikov tweeted that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was set to be the next head of NATO and had secured the backing of the Estonian prime minister.
Providing no sources or elaboration, she stuck to her guns when questioned by curious followers.
The news was quickly picked up by almost all mainstream Albanian media including Balkan Web, Top Channel, Shqiptarja, Koha Jone, Panorama, 360Grade and many more. Many of the portals reported the ‘news’ ad verbatim, even failing to pick up on spelling errors in the name of those involved. None sought to fact-check the news.
When Starikov declared the story an April Fool, some portals deleted the news, while others amended it. Some journalists, including Sokol Balla from Top Channel then attacked Starikov on Twitter and other social media platforms. She was accused of being paid by Rama himself, being sent to disrupt Albanian politics, and also of having fallen for the news from someone else, and then claimed it was an April Fool’s when caught out.
Whether the tweet was an April Fool’s joke or not, regardless, it lays bare issues with ethics in the Albanian media landscape. The fact the story spread like wildfire and was reported as fact on numerous portals raises concerns about the lack of fact checking procedures employed by portals. It also highlights the “conspiracy theory” mentality of both the media and citizens, following the claim that the tweet was an April Fool.
Exit contacted Starikov who has been tweeting on Balkan and regional politics since 2010 for comment and with an opportunity to counter some of the claims made against her. She refused to give an on the record comment.
Exit spoke to head of the Albanian Media Council, Koloreto Cukali.
“April fool’s is meant to provoke fun for a day, and media allows themselves to make fun by inventing an unbelievable news,” he said.
“The idea is to amicably fool the public, and telling them afterwards that it was a joke. I cannot understand how this kind of jokes can fool even the major media in the country. I see three potential issues here. First, it seems we have lost the sense of fun. Believing that kind of tweet means that we really don’t relate to funny things any more. Second, we can assess that whatever stupidity coming from “abroad” goes unverified. But our media must double check even the most serious of international media, let alone ordinary blogs or tweets. Third, we seem to be inclined to believe that Rama is the centre of the Universe. This is the real fun: seeing how we all live in an alternate reality, where this thing is considered seriously,” he added.
