The Central Election Commission (CEC), with the assistance of OSCE Presence in Albania, organized the Technical Table ” 2025 Elections 2025: Media role in the electoral process – Challenges and opportunities”.
This table brought together representatives of political parties, state institutions, media, civil society organizations, international organizations involved in the elections, as well as international experts.
The primary focus of the technical table was to discuss issues related to media’s role in the election processes and identification of challenges and opportunities for improving the media environment in the coverage of upcoming electoral process.
The State Election Commissioner, Mr. Ilirjan Celibashi stated that “Elections, as a political, but also as a legal process, receive the same attention by the media as other political, economic, social or legal processes that take place in the country. Unlike other areas, in the case of elections, the media has a dual role. On the one hand, it is in the classic role of information and supervising the process, and on the other hand, it has an equally important role in informing/educating voters and encouraging them to participate in the elections. It is important to say that the media, in order to accomplish this goal or dual functionality, should be characterized by two essential features: Professionalization and independence/impartiality. These characteristics are fundamental for the media action, especially in the electoral process. There are a number of mechanisms that ensure or that will have to ensure that media have these traits. But if this process is not self-regulated or the media (in general) itself does not have this approach, then it is important to have a regulatory aspect. It is important that in any case, media should not be in the position to state something different from what it observes and verifies and it should not promote what should not be promoted.
The Head of OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Michel Tarran stated in opening of the meeting that “Media, often called as “the fourth pillar”, plays a crucial role as the main source of information for the majority of voters. It shapes the public opinion and can have a significant impact in the elections results. Due to such an enormous responsibility, it is vital that the media complies with the highest ethical and professional standards during the coverage of elections processes”.We are aware of the enormous pressure the media is faced with in its efforts to ensure justice, analytical depths and accuracy in its reports. In order to address these challenges, OSCE Presence remains determined to foster the right regulation and self-regulation of the media. These instruments remain crucial in guaranteeing that media operators act in compliance with the highest ethical standards “ he added.
The participants discussed some of the main challenges faced by Albanian media actors in covering elections and election campaigns. The discussions focused on OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, underlining: effective implementation of the Law on the Right to Information; compliance with legal obligations regarding the transmission of content produced by parties in the news; allocation of airing time for running candidates in elections; and lack of sufficient resources for full media oversight. Representatives of public institutions, media professionals and civil society actors presented their efforts, perspectives and recommendations to improve the fair and ethical coverage of elections by the media and to overcome recurring challenges.
These efforts aim to ensure that voters have access to essential information on electoral procedures, political platforms and candidates, empowering them to make informed choices.
In its preparations for the upcoming 2025 parliamentary elections and in order to meet the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR, the Central Election Commission, together with other stakeholders, are increasing their efforts to improve cooperation and coordination with actors operating in the field of media, including television, radio, print and online media.
