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Press freedom in Kosovo: Myth or Reality?
Communications Management, Webster University Geneva
Kaltrina Podrimaj
MEDC 5350: Media Organizations and Regulations
Dr. Katarzyna Jagodzinska
April 2021
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Abstract
The Republic of Kosovo is the youngest country in Europe and after many challenges, it
has not yet managed to join the European Union. Considering the fact that it is a post-war
country, Kosovo faces a lot of problems related to economics, politics, and corruption. Even
though freedom of expression and the media are guaranteed by the Constitution (Constitution of
the Republic of Kosovo, n.d., Article 42, p.12), practicing the profession of journalism is very
challenging. While Kosovo has a legal system that complies with European standards for the
protection of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to information, these laws
are rarely applied or respected. Given the number of attacks and threats against journalists, the
question of this research paper is whether press freedom in Kosovo exists or it is just a myth.
Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to find out more about the rights and restrictions of
the media in Kosovo as well as the safety of journalists, on whom there are frequent attacks.
Primary and secondary research were conducted in order to analyze this topic fully. The primary
research includes interviews with journalists who were attacked, whereas secondary research is
based on textbooks, academic papers, news articles, and reports that explain in greater detail the
situation of freedom of the press in Kosovo.
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Table of Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………......О
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Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………... 3
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………... 4
Methodology...…………………………………………………………………………………....4
Literature review ………………………………………………………………………....……5
Media environment………………………………………………………………………….... 6
Legal framework and press freedom…………………………………………………………..7
The state of press freedom and journalists' safety……………………………………………. 8
Presentation of Results………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Finding One: Journalists, regardless of gender, are brutally attacked when they
express their opinions………………………………………………………………………… 8
Finding Two: Journalists are self-censored because politics control businesses that advertise
in media ………………………………………………………………………...……………9
Finding Three: Attacks are usually from citizens or politicians who do not agree with
journalists …………………………………………………………………………………….10
Finding Four: Journalists do not have support from state institutions and most of
the cases remain unsolved …………………………………………………………………...11
Discussion……………………………………………………………………….…………...….11
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….... 13
References……………………………………………………………………………………….15
Annexes…………………………………………………………………………………………. О
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Press freedom in Kosovo: Myth or Reality?
This research study assesses press freedom, the legal system that guarantees freedom of
the press, as well as threats and attacks against journalists in Kosovo. To begin with, between
2014 and 2021, numerous cases of attacks against journalists were reported. For instance, in
2014, Milot Hasimja, an editor at the Klan Kosova television station in Pristina, while he was
working in his office, he was stabbed five times in the neck and head by a man who didn't like
his story (Balkan Insight, 2017; M. Hasimja, personal communication 2021 ).1 Another example
is the case of Arbana Xharra, a well-known former political journalist, who was physically
attacked in front of her home in 2017 by unknown persons after returning from a TV program
(Telegrafi.com, 2017) where she shared her opinion about religious extremism. After that night,
and several other threats, she was forced to leave Kosovo, and now lives in the US (A. Xharra,
personal communication, April 3, 2021). In December 2020, while walking in Pristina,
journalist Valon Syla was attacked by a man asking him not to show on TV again because of his
critical views of the Kosovo diaspora (SafeJournalists.net, 2020).2 Based on the cases below,
citizens of Kosovo seem to have some internal dispositions or biases against journalists who
share their views on various topics which will be evaluated later on in this research.
Methodology
In order to answer the leading question of this paper, primary and secondary research
methods were conducted. Secondary research is focused on three key sources: first, literature that
illustrates press freedom in general, and second, textbooks that describe press freedom in Europe,
and third, analysis of documents and reports from local and international organizations that
1
2
Please see Annexe 1
Please see Annexe 2
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elaborate the situation of the media in Kosovo. Primary research includes semi-structured
interviews with three journalists that have experienced physical attacks and threats. Due to the
pandemic measures, the interviews were conducted digitally, via email. Participants were
informed of the reason for this research paper and after being promised confidentiality they
agreed to use their real names in the interview. The use of both above-mentioned research
approaches contributes to the development of a picture of press freedom in Kosovo, the reasons
behind the journalist attacks, and possible recommendations that could help to change the
situation in the future.
Literature review
This literature review will be developed in a zoom-in form, which means that it will
begin with an overview of press freedom and then drill down into specifics about the situation in
Kosovo. When it comes to the state of the media in Kosovo, we will assess whether the term
"democratic" accurately represents the country's freedom of the press.
Going back in history, the topic of press freedom is ancient. Since it would be difficult to
study the whole history, an overview of press freedom might need to begin with the fact that
authors from around the world have come to different conclusions. The majority of these theories
are very broad and do not go into great detail about individual countries, instead, they are
focused on larger regions describing them as a whole. A good example of this is the theory of
authors Hallin and Mancini who describe The Mediterranean countries as the home to the
"Polarized Pluralist Model." According to them, in these countries, the mass-circulation
newspaper does not have a firm footing, the state is interventionist, political parallelism is high,
and journalistic professionalism is not deeply rooted. Moreover, the journalists in these countries
are described as more “dependent” on political elites (Hallin & Mancini, 2004, p.329-330). This
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theory addresses media freedom, but it does not go into depth about the situation in Kosovo;
instead, it lumps it in with other Mediterranean nations.
A common study used to elaborate press freedom is also the one by authors (Czepek et
al., 2009). Their approaches have been influential in the field because their book contains a
wealth of material on the situation of the media in Europe. In the book Press Freedom and
Pluralism in Europe, they elaborate that "The term ‘press freedom’ is not found in the
constitution of Sweden, for example, even though its press enjoys more freedom than in almost
any other state on earth. And being printed in the constitution does, by no means, signify that it is
implemented de facto." (Czepek et al., 2009, p.24-25). Despite the fact that the book contains a
lot of useful information about the press in Europe and the Balkans, there is still a gap regarding
the state of the media in Kosovo.
Clearly, both of the textbooks mentioned above have legitimate arguments, but their
analysis is too general to refer to all Mediterranean countries. Furthermore, this paper will
elaborate on the media environment, legal framework, press regulations, and freedom in Kosovo,
based on reports and studies from national and international organizations.
Media environment
Kosovo has undergone a double transition – from war to peace and from a communist to
a formally democratic system (Bellonia & Strazzarib, 2015, p.858). Today, Kosovo is a unitary
parliamentary republic, with a government, a unicameral assembly, and a civil legal system (The
Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), 2019, p.7). For a newly independent country, the
number of media outlets is quite impressive. According to an annual report of the Independent
Media Commission, the licensed media that have operated in Kosovo in 2019 includes: 19 TV
Stations (one public TV station), 86 Radio Stations, and 41 Distribution Operators (Independent
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Media Commission (IMC), 2019, p.36). On the other hand, there are no accurate statistics on the
number of online media, as they are registered as limited liability companies or with unverified
ownership (The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), 2019, p.8).
Kosovo has a pluralistic but polarized media system (The Association of Journalists of
Kosovo (AJK), 2019, p.8). Because of the high rate of unemployment, many workers from
different backgrounds, including journalists, are forced to work under unfavorable
circumstances, without contracts, protection, or insurance (The Association of Journalists of
Kosovo (AJK), 2019, p.16). Moreover, media outlets are generally not economically stable. The
lack of an audience measurement system and a strong private advertising industry means that
private broadcasters depend on other sources of funding and few are able to operate without
strong links to political and business interest groups. Journalists often work without contracts,
which makes them vulnerable to corruption and prone to self-censorship (European Union, 2019,
p.15).
Legal framework and press freedom
Freedom of expression and that of the media are guaranteed by the Constitution of
Kosovo3 and the European Convention on Human Rights4 (Constitution of the Republic of
Kosovo, Article 42; European Convention on Human Rights, Article 10). Broadcast media are
regulated by IMC – an independent institution established by the Assembly of Kosovo while
print media and their online portals regulate themselves through the Press Council, a self-
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Note. Freedom and pluralism of media is guaranteed. Censorship is forbidden. No one shall prevent the
dissemination of information or ideas through media, except if it is necessary to prevent encouragement or
provocation of violence and hostility on grounds of race, nationality, ethnicity or religion. Everyone has the right to
correct untrue, incomplete and inaccurate published information, if it violates her/his rights and interests in
accordance with the law. From "Freedom of Media'' by Constitution of Republic of Kosovo, 2008, Article 42, p.12
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Note. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions
and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.
This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
From "Freedom of expression" by European Convention on Human Rights, updated 2020, Article 10, p.10.
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regulatory body that operates according to its own statute (OSCE, Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe, 2014, p.8). The Press Council is considered the most independent
regulator of political influence, as the election of its board does not depend on the Assembly, as
is the case with the IMC board (The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), 2019, p.14).
The state of press freedom and journalists' safety
According to The Association of Journalists of Kosovo annual report, there were 21 cases
of attacks and threats against journalists and media in 2019. When comparing this number of
attacks and threats with that of previous years, it is seen that there has been an increase in cases
of attacks during 2019 and potential reasons why this happened are too complex. The report
shows that in 2017, 24 cases were reported, while in 2018 there were 18 cases (The Association
of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), 2019). Moreover, in the same report, there have been mentioned
concrete examples of threats against journalists like refusal of companies to advertise in the
specific media outlet if a journalist writes a critical piece on some politicians and their
businesses, intimidating phone calls, or threats of physical violence that journalists get in effect
negatively their willingness to report on organized crime or corruption (The Association of
Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), 2019 p.11).
Presentation of Results
Finding One: Journalists, regardless of gender, are brutally attacked when they
express their opinions
This research found that journalists who share their opinions on more sensitive topics
such as politics, diaspora perspectives, religious extremism, or non-political nature, are more
likely to be targeted or assaulted. There were a lot of similarities in the interviews made with
journalists who were attacked in Kosovo during 2014-2021. For instance, in 2014, the editor
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Milot Hasimja was stabbed five times while working in his office by a man who wanted to delete
a story Hasimja had published about him with his permission. Similarly, Arbana Xharra, was
physically attacked in front of her home after returning from a TV program where she shared her
opinion on religious extremism, more specifically about Islam5. The same is the case of Parim
Olluri, a journalist who was physically attacked in front of his fiancée because his stories are
usually related to politics. These findings suggest that citizens do not respect the voice of
reporters and to stop them from sharing their opinions they attack or threaten them. When it
comes to sensitive topics such as religion or politics perpetrators are unconcerned with the
gender of the journalists or the presence of other individuals to commit the crime.
Finding Two: Journalists are self-censored because politics control businesses that
advertise in media
In the literature review, it is mentioned that the media in Kosovo are not economically
stable and it is very hard to operate without strong links to political and business interest groups.
This point is also explained by two of the interviewees. For instance, P.Olluri says that the
government intervenes in businesses that advertise in the media if they publish any critical
articles about them (P. Olluri, personal communication, April 9, 2021). A.Xharra has a similar
opinion on this matter. She states that the media is dependent on advertising revenues from
businesses, and while most companies cannot function without being connected to politics, this
creates a chain that puts pressure on journalism and also leads to self-censorship (A. Xharra,
personal communication, April 3, 2021). Based on their answers we can assume that politics
have a strong impact on press freedom. This is also supported by the European Commission's
5
Please see Annexe 3
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annual Progress Report where it is mentioned that in at least two cases of attacks on journalists in
2019, high-level politicians were involved. (European Commission, 2020, p.31).
Finding Three: Attacks are usually from citizens or politicians who do not agree with
journalists
Citizens and politicians of Kosovo seem to have attitudes against freedom of expression,
which leads to disagreements with journalistic viewpoints and sometimes also in violence. For
instance, A.Xharra publicly discussed on television and social media how mosques were being
built from Turkey in Kosovo and how this was leading to the spread of Islamism. The physical
attack that night wasn't the only one she experienced because of her views on this topic. In the
interview, she explains how she received direct threats on social media, people went to her office
and she was followed by cars. To make her stop talking about this topic, unknown people drew a
cross as a sign of anti-Islamism in the building where she lived. After so many threats, she had to
leave Kosovo. Likewise, M.Hasimja got attacked because his story contained the attacker's
statement, which he had previously agreed to publish but eventually changed his mind. The last
example that follows this pattern is P.Olluri's case, which was motivated by his stories
(Telegrafi.com, 2017). When analyzing these findings, the evidence suggests that the reasons
behind the attacks are related to the opinions of the journalists. This means that reporters who
dare to share their viewpoints are likely to be attacked by individuals such as those who are
religious or political, and who do not want journalists to have an impact on the Kosovar
audience.
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Finding Four: Journalists do not have support from state institutions and most of
the cases remain unsolved
When it comes to cases of assaults on journalists, Kosovo's state institutions and the
justice system seem to be negligent. Based on the cases of the journalists, a major problem in
addition to the attacks on them is the inability of the police to find those responsible for the
crimes. Again, according to the interviewees, all cases of threats and attacks were reported to the
police. When asked, how has the case been handled by the justice system, A.Xharra states that
"Since those who threatened and beat me remain unidentified, I believe the justice system in
Kosovo is a failure" (A. Xharra, personal communication, April 3, 2021). In the same question,
P.Olluri says that the case of his attack has not been solved yet as a result of the negligence of
the police and the justice institutions of Kosovo (P. Olluri, personal communication, April 9,
2021). Given the passage of time after the Xharra and Olluri cases, the police's efforts seem to
have been insufficient or ineffective in fixing the situation. This suggests that someone
considering an assault against journalists, would not take the police seriously because of their
inability to solve these crimes.
Discussion
To come to a conclusion about the state of press freedom in Kosovo, this study used a
combination of research methods, starting from existing literature to primary research. Broadly it
was explained by existing literature that the existence of press freedom in Kosovo is a
questionable issue. Moreover, in several reports, it was mentioned that threats, and violence
against journalists, as well as the weak judicial prosecution of perpetrators, remain serious
challenges to the freedom of media (OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe MISSION IN KOSOVO), 2014, p.12). Furthermore, media outlets need to cooperate
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with politics or businesses in order to be able to operate. Journalists often work without
contracts, which makes them vulnerable to corruption and self-censorship (European Union,
2019, p.15.) Also, the issue of the persistence of violence against journalists continues to be
largely due to the impunity of the people who perpetrate such actions. (Qavdarbasha & The
Institute for Development Policy (INDEP), 2015, p.12). The authors below provide an accurate
overview of the current situation of attacks on journalists in Kosovo, but why do these attacks
keep happening? When analyzing the literature, there is no clear information about the motives
that lead to attacks against journalists. The research shows that existing literature doesn't go into
detail about the reasons why journalists are attacked and instead provides general information
about this issue.
The annual Progress Report of the European Commission is one of the most important
indicators of Kosovo's progress in general. According to this report, in 2020 the judgment of
cases remains slow and rule of law institutions need to continue efforts to follow up on threats
and attacks against journalists (European Commission, 2020, p.6-31). Also, the European
Commission's annual report mentions the involvement of politicians in attacks against
journalists. (European Commission, 2020, p.31). These reports correspond well to the findings
from the interviews in primary research. The attackers of A.Xharra and P.Olluri are still not
found, their cases remain unsolved in 2021 and both of them said that politics have an impact on
press freedom. On the other hand, this research paper is not without its own limitations. It was
not easy to get in contact with the journalists and to get their agreement to give answers to an
interview about their attacks. For instance, editor M.Hasimja said that he didn't talk about this for
a long time because he was mentally tormented by the attack (M.Hasimja, personal
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communication, April 3, 2021). Press freedom in Kosovo seems to have a lot of serious issues,
however, only a handful of studies on this topic have been conducted.
Conclusion
This research has found that despite laws and regulations of press freedom, journalists
continue to be threatened or attacked in all forms. Kosovo has a legislative base that is in line
with European standards and protects the freedom of expression, media, and the right to
information, but this legal framework's enforcement continues to be an issue.
Based on the findings, three conclusions are made, which seem to be the fundamental
problems with press freedom in Kosovo. First, a crucial persistent issue remains attacks and
threats against journalists. The attacks seem to be by individual citizens or politicians who
simply do not agree with journalists who share their views on a variety of issues such as politics,
diaspora, or religious extremism. Second, the attacks are not taken seriously by the justice
system, there is a lack of rules to protect journalists, and the prosecution of crimes against
journalists is unsatisfactory. Third, there is legislation in Kosovo that guarantees press freedom,
but the laws are not respected. Laws and rules that come from the constitution of a country must
be respected, and if the citizens do not take this into account, it means that there is a lack of
awareness or education. Guaranteeing press freedom in the constitution and teaching citizens to
respect it are two different things. According to the finding of this research, Kosovo seems to be
successful in the first aspect but has significant problems in the second one.
To create and secure a favorable environment for journalists and press freedom as
guaranteed by-laws, the government should create coherent strategies and campaigns designed to
inform and educate citizens about press freedom. Proper education of the youth and awareness of
the benefits of a free press can be a good long-term strategy. A positive step in this direction for
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Kosovo could also be the establishment of a system of protection for journalists and the media.
Justice authorities and the police should take prosecutions of crimes against journalists more
seriously and cooperate with the media in cases of threats or attacks. Moreover, improving
attackers' impunity is crucial because if they would get more appropriate sentences, that would
discourage others from committing such crimes because they would fear the consequences.
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References
The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK). (2019). Indicators on the level of media
freedom and journalists’ safety. http://agk-ks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/KOSALB-2019.pdf
Bellonia, R., & Strazzarib, F. S. (2014, July 30). Corruption in post-conflict Bosnia-Herzegovina
and Kosovo: a deal among friends. 35, 855-871.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01436597.2014.921434
Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. (2008). Freedom of Media. Article 42, (12), 1-62.
http://www.kryeministriks.net/repository/docs/Constitution1Kosovo.pdf?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=de39db489735ed1
39a1ddaf13c4cf3c7c0fa0cae-1619513040-0AQF_2jGz4ZoYNLQ3w5mt_myVixHhtd8soOkezxmw1nSKFRjRTNTy3d1BtxXcbx36f
IfH-QgDMOuV7N_FdXqrw9eKAqq2s5NsaXJ2TDlt0LqvY_6
Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. (2008). Protection of Journalists Sources. Law No.
04/L-137, 1-62. http://www.kryeministriks.net/repository/docs/Constitution1Kosovo.pdf?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=de39db489735ed1
39a1ddaf13c4cf3c7c0fa0cae-1619513040-0AQF_2jGz4ZoYNLQ3w5mt_myVixHhtd8soOkezxmw1nSKFRjRTNTy3d1BtxXcbx36f
IfH-QgDMOuV7N_FdXqrw9eKAqq2s5NsaXJ2TDlt0LqvY_6
Czepek, A., Hellwig, M., & Nowak, E. (2009). Press Freedom and Pluralism in Europe:
Concepts and Conditions. Intellect Books Ltd.
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Die Morina. (2017, February 24). Kosovo Authorities ‘Failing to Punish Journalists’ Attackers’.
Balkan Insight. https://balkaninsight.com/2017/02/24/safety-of-journalists-in-kosovo-0224-2017/
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the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee
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of the Regions. (2020, October). Kosovo* 2020 Report. 6. https://www.meiks.net/repository/docs/kosovo_report_2020.pdf
European Union. (2019). EU Enlargement Package. 15. https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhoodenlargement/sites/near/files/freedom_of_expression_2019.pdf
Hallin, D. C., & Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and
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https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/4/0/122390.pdf
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mjekësore në spital. https://telegrafi.com/keshtu-dukej-arbana-xharra-ne-kohen-kur-pomerrte-ndihmen-ne-spital-foto/
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Annexes
Annexe One - Attack against editor Milot Hasimja
Picture 1: M.Hasimja in hospital after the attack
Picture 2: M.Hasimja in hospital after the attack
Video 1: Journalist talks from the hospital right after the attack:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28qb42
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Annexe Two: Attack on journalist Valon Syla
Picture 1: Journalist Valon Syla (in front) and the attacker (in the back)
Video 1: The attack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfLJG44HNy0
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Annexe Three - Attack on former journalist Arbana Xharra
Picture 1: A.Xharra in the hospital after the attack
Picture 2: A.Xharra's face after the attack
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Picture 3: Journalist A.Xharra in a hospital in Pristina right after the attack