Borderless Supporters: Media in Albania threatened by crime, politics

Also mentioned are the cases of 3 Albanian journalists, who are threatened by “Border-free Reporters” from crime and politics; Klodiana Lala, Alida Tota and Basir Colak.

The home of chronic reporter Klodiana Lala was targeted in the early hours of August 30, 2018. Unidentified individuals shot at her house with automatic weapons, without causing hurt”, says the report, underlining later than two weeks before the Lala attack had linked a Socialist Party MP to the organisation led by Emiliano Shullasi, one of the biggest criminals in the country, Tch reports.

The injured, persecuted and threatened “but Alida Tota continues work”, writes “Border-free reporter” further, bringing the story that damaged her career, the death of a 17-year-old in a garbage dump. She was fired a day after calling the municipality to get her version, then threatened with SMS and left for Sweden, but did not stay there long. She returned to Albania to continue her work.

Moving to the other Albanian journalist, Basir Colak, “Border-free Reporters” say he is looking into the asylum option after angering Interior Minister with an exclusive interview with Dritan Zagan, who was threatened and arrested after denouncing a case of police corruption. What came next touched his family and his work so that he now contemplates leaving the country.

“Reporters without borders” speaks of many problems in Albanian media. According to her, regulatory standards are manipulated in the government's interest, and the ownership of visual media is focused on the hands of large businessmen. This has created a situation in which self - interest is widespread and about 80 percent of journalists lack confidence in their professional future.

Those who continue to work as journalists, the report says, are exposed to a climate of insults, coming from the prime minister himself who has named journalists “kazan”, “antidote” and <x4 public enemies”. According to the report, over 30 journalists worldwide have been killed by criminal organisations since the beginning of 2017.