LESSON
Lesson Learned: Media, Transparency and Accountability in Albania
The Journalist Union’s activities to increase its membership were effective as they were linked to something tangible-- the issuing of a membership card which had value to journalists. The card was provided as a receipt for the payment of dues which provided the Union with some income. However, most journalists seemed to have interpreted this as a one-time requirement, and did not see the need during interviews to pay dues on a regular basis. The number of members increased from 480 in 2008 to 790 in 2010. There were 870 members by the time of the evaluation. The union’s regional offices did not appear to be open, but they still had representatives for the offices who managed the Union activities in their areas and who convened meetings when needed.
Project Name
Project Partner
IREX Europe/Hapur
Project Description
Media, Transparency and Accountability in Albania sought to strengthen the role of the Albanian media to promote transparency and government accountability by 1) investigating and informing citizens on issues of civic concern and corruption, and 2) developing, implementing and enforcing its own ethical and professional standards. The project did help to improve the media’s capacity to investigate and inform citizens on issues of corruption and civic concern, but that the difficulty in airing the shows on national TV, and in particular, national public TV, limited its potential impact, as did the lack of synergies with other anti-corruption or good governance activities. The mix of local and national topics for its reports seemed appropriate as it attracted the interest of both audiences and drew national attention to some of the problems in the local areas.
Report
Evaluation Date
September 2010
Theme
Country