Media freedom is worsening, MP warns

Jorida Tabaku, who chairs Albania’s parliamentary committee on media and human rights, has warned that press freedom is worsening after the country fell again in a global media freedom ranking.

The committee met Pavol Szalai, the Reporters Without Borders director for Central and Eastern Europe, weeks after Prime Minister Edi Rama publicly clashed with the organisation over its findings.

Albania ranks 83rd out of 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index.

Tabaku said the fall reflected pressure on journalists, weak editorial independence and attacks on critical media.

She said a large number of TV stations and news websites did not guarantee real media freedom if journalists were afraid to ask questions.

Tabaku warned that any further decline could also affect Albania’s EU membership path.