As Albanian media execs scramble to please, Berisha’s overexposure backfires

Albania's major media outlets are puzzled by Sali Berisha’s recent attacks on them. Despite extensive coverage in his favor, with Klan Television dedicating 73% of its news stories to Berisha—more than any other political leader—and Vizion Plus at 63%, the media owners are still wondering where they might have gone wrong. Other outlets report similar numbers, yet their executives are left uneasy, asking themselves: what more does Berisha want?

While the media owners remain silent publicly, it seems they’re reviewing their coverage to figure out how to align better with Berisha’s expectations in the future. Yet, Berisha’s habit of criticizing without specific demands leaves them guessing. Meanwhile, he continues to exploit these grievances, blaming his “servants” for insufficient support—a convenient excuse if he loses the elections.

There is a grotesque irony in Berisha’s attempts to imitate Donald Trump’s clash with mainstream media. Trump positioned the mainstream media as his enemy for specific, strategic reasons, while these media outlets saw him as a genuine threat to their values and stability. Major American networks, with the exception of Fox News, opposed Trump largely because of his political ideology and the challenges he posed to the establishment.

Trump did not succeed because mainstream media opposed him; rather, he thrived by using social media to amplify his message, framing the mainstream media as an adversary. Ironically, even negative coverage worked in his favor, reinforcing his image as an outsider.

Berisha’s situation is quite the opposite: Albanian media largely supports him, giving him extensive airtime. However, this overexposure does him no favors. He would actually benefit from being censored, as limited media coverage might create sympathy. Instead, the constant spotlight may be weakening his influence, as he appears overexposed and overly familiar to the public.

In 1994, Albania had just one television channel, the state broadcaster, which was fully controlled by Berisha. Despite 24-hour campaigning on his behalf during the constitutional referendum, he still lost. Today, he has multiple channels under his influence, all providing ample airtime. Yet, this overexposure has become a trap, as his often unremarkable statements now echo widely, diminishing his appeal.

If Berisha understood this, he wouldn’t need to criticize these channels into reducing his coverage. Simply speaking less would give them nothing to broadcast, allowing him to preserve some mystique. As it stands, they can only broadcast what he says, and his own words seem to erode his relevance daily.

However, he continues to claim he needs even more airtime. Perhaps, as a solution, these media outlets should set up cameras in his home for a 24-hour livestream, giving the Albanian public an unfiltered view of him. This might be the quickest way to make him appear out of touch.

Such a solution might also relieve media owners who, intimidated by his recent attacks, are trying to understand why he’s targeting them. Berisha seems to think he can emulate Trump’s combative stance against the media; however, unlike Trump, he expects mainstream media to both serve him and be his target.

In reality, most media already serves Berisha’s interests, but his problem is that his words are aired unfiltered. If he were censored, he could claim to be a victim, drawing public sympathy. Instead, his constant exposure only highlights his decline, even prompting former supporters to pity how much he has deteriorated.

The article initially appeared in Albanian titled: "Në pritje të autokritikës së pronarëve të televizioneve për Berishën"