Shqip
English
The freedom of expression and free, independent media are organically linked together. In order to express our opinions and share them widely, we need means/media, so the mass media are fundamental in exercising our human rights. Media are an essential aspect of the society, especially, a democratic community like the European Union. In order to protect the freedom of expression and of the media, European Union institutions have adopted a legal framework coined as the Media Freedom Act. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) is a new set of rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU. On the other side, for countries that aspire to join European Union such as Albania, strengthening independent media is crucial for consolidating democratic institutions and for progress in the EU accession negotiations. In this context, an overview of the Albanian media’s landscape is necessary, to understand the challenges the freedom of expression and the media independence is facing. Understanding the EMFA and its importance for independent and free media, but also its shortcomings, will shade more light over the (dis)empowerment of the European Fourth Estate, impacting in this way, the media of the accession countries.
Keywords: European Media Freedom Act, freedom of expression, media independence, Albania.
Facebook Comments