Media challenged by incidents, pandemic, nontransparency of institutions in Kosovo

Media in Kosovo, during 2021, have faced a host of challenges, especially in terms of journalists' safety and financial security, which has deteriorated because of the corruption pandemic, but also in terms of professional work and transparency of institutions towards the media, estimate Xhemaj Reja from the Association of Kosovo Journalists and the Kusari Jurist of media law.

The main concern, they say, continues to be attacks, threats to journalists, as well as obstructing their work.

According to data from the Kosovo Journalists' Association (AGK), during 2021, 28 incidents have been recorded against journalists.

Xhemajl Rexha, head of AGK, tells Radio Free Europe, that these incidents have been attacks of various forms against journalists.

Not necessarily all physical attacks, but there have been ongoing threats against journalists because of their work. At the beginning of the year, it was physically attacked by Wisar Durqi, the most serious case. Now at the end of the year, we've seen over 100 threats against journalist Vehbi Kaitazi because of some of his statements that have been denounced to the police. Police have managed to arrest at least 2 people and consider it to be good news, so quick intervention and priority treatment of these cases”, Rexha said.

He added that the journalists' continued demand has been that cases of any attacks on them be addressed with priorities from law and law bodies.

The Kusari, media rights jurist, in a conversation with Radio Free Europe, points out that even during the year 2021, the trend of impunity against those who risk or tend to endanger journalists has been continued. According to her, the media and journalists have also faced other problems.

Police and prosecutors act very slowly or don't act at all. This then complicates the journalists' climate. We have a lack of transparency (of government institutions), though Prime Minister Albin Kurti) has said transparency has recently increased. Journalists' polls, which are based, stand, because there is no transparency. This government too is acting in a closed way. We also have a financial issue. COVIDD-19 has left a follow-up on most media, which are still very hard to clear from the serious economic situation”, Kusari said.

That the pandemic has been economically hitting the media, that's what Xhemajl Raja confirms. According to him, this has caused a large number of journalists to leave work. In addition to this problem, he says, journalists also face working conditions in the media where they work. For more, according to him, there remains a problem with the lack of contracts for a large number of journalists in Kosovo, and also the lack of contributions for journalists who have contracts in the media.

Rexha added that during 2021, journalists have had problems providing information from executive and legislative institutions.

Even this year, but next year I believe that transparency of central institutions, especially the Government of Kosovo, will remain a challenge. She has two spokespersons, which I believe are not very present in the media to provide the answers, which they love journalists. Writing answers also take a long time. Often they do not return at all, the government's reasoning is that there are many media in Kosovo, which is true. But, there are enough people working at the prime minister's office, and in the ministry and their duty is to return answers to journalists, whatever they are”, Rexha said.

local journalism death “and political positions in television debates

But, the Kusari butterfly says that during the year 2021, especially during the time of pre-election and election campaigns, local elections held in Kosovo in October, as well as their second run in November, “has proved that local journalism died in Kosovo, to the extent that on television we have been hanging to see panelists who were not independent and who had a political agenda<1>.

The problem is with the media giving people such a platform to crack information that is not verified. Then it creates public opinion and translates into the election result. This, part of these stupid debates, has had an impact on the media. The lack of local journalism is highlighted here. If we had journalists in various cities who would tell us how a certain mayor acts, what projects he is implementing where he's failing, then we would have a much better mirror for these politicians. But this did not happen”, Kusari said.

Rexha says that television and other media have largely managed to reflect the activities of political parties during the election campaign equally. But the difference exists, as he says in political debates, where guests were often journalists or others referred to as analysts but who are often politically positioned clearly.

Of course, in most democratic countries, there is no problem for opinionists to take right or left policy positions, but this is interpreted differently in Kosovo. I believe that, in fact, media and opinions at television studios have played a significant role in both early, in February of this year in parliamentary elections, as well as then, the major change in the results that have undergone the October local elections and then even the second round of November”, Rexha said.

The Kusari butterfly has stressed that when it comes to the media spectrum in Kosovo, during 2021, it has happened as it calls it <x1). It singles out the election of the Kosovo Radio Television Board (RTK), this public servant, stressing that “people who have integrity, experience, expertise and who are not directly related to any political party” have been selected on this board. /rel/