The SafeJournalists Network expresses concern regarding public statements made in January 2026 by Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, addressing the role, funding, and future of RTSH, Albania’s public service broadcaster.
The statements were delivered during a meeting of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, a political forum bringing together members of the governing majority and senior executive officials. In his remarks, the Prime Minister characterised RTSH as a failed institution, questioned its legitimacy as a public broadcaster, and stated that public funding should be withheld until RTSH “deserves” it. He further indicated that all options should be considered regarding RTSH’s future, including privatisation and even closure.
While public debate on the effectiveness, governance, and reform of public service media is legitimate, the SafeJournalists Network underlines that public service broadcasters occupy a distinct democratic role. Their mandate is not defined by market performance or political approval, but by their obligation to serve the public interest, ensure pluralistic information, support cultural and educational content, and operate independently from both political and commercial pressures.
From a freedom of expression perspective, linking the existence or funding of a public broadcaster to executive judgments of “merit” raises serious concerns. Such framing risks undermining the principle of arm’s-length governance that is central to European standards on media freedom. Even in the absence of immediate legal or budgetary measures, public statements of this nature may exert indirect pressure on editorial independence, contribute to institutional insecurity, and encourage self-censorship within newsrooms.
The SafeJournalists Network is particularly concerned by the normalisation of “closure” as a publicly articulated option for a public service broadcaster. In European democratic practice, the central question is not whether public service media should exist, but how their governance, accountability, and independence can be strengthened in line with democratic standards. Treating the continued existence of a public broadcaster as contingent on political satisfaction risks weakening the institutional safeguards that protect journalistic freedom.
These developments are also relevant in the context of Albania’s EU accession process, particularly under Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, where media freedom, institutional independence, and democratic checks and balances are core benchmarks. A stable, independent, and adequately safeguarded public service broadcaster is a key component of a resilient democratic information environment.
The SafeJournalists Network recalls that criticism of media performance should be addressed through transparent, legally grounded reform processes, independent oversight bodies, and inclusive public debate—rather than through rhetoric that may compromise institutional independence and fluid public distrust and hostility towards RTSH. SafeJournalists has consistently advocated for structural reforms that strengthen RTSH’s editorial independence and public accountability, while enabling the public broadcaster to transform in the digital age and respond effectively to the diverse information, cultural, and democratic needs of citizens—particularly through transparent and lawful leadership selection, predictable and safeguarded funding arrangements, and governance measures that protect journalists’ professional autonomy and labour rights.
We encourage Albanian authorities to reaffirm their commitment to European public service media standards and to ensure that any discussion on RTSH’s reform is conducted in a manner that fully respects freedom of expression, journalistic independence, and the public’s right to information.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica – Tirana, January 19, 2026
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
