After the statements and accusations made by the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Sali Berisha against "NeWs24""BalkanWeb" and "Panorama", "Safe Journalists Albania" reacted.
Through a Facebook status, he emphasizes that the rhetoric that presents journalists and editorial staff as criminals exceeds the limits of legitimate criticism.
"On May 2, 2026, opposition leader Sali Berisha told News24, BalkanWeb and Panorama as the “free speech mafia”, accusing the newsrooms of taking instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office. SafeJournalists Network recalls that political leaders have the right to challenge media reporting, but rhetoric that presents journalists and newsrooms as criminal, disloyal or as instruments of political opponents exceeds the limits of legitimate criticism and contributes to creating conditions where journalists face pressure. SafeJournalists calls on all political actors in Albania to refrain from this type of rhetoric and will continue to monitor and document its consequences for journalists and media workers in the country”, the statement reads.
FULL REACTION;
On May 2, 2026, the leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, publicly attacked the television News24, the portal BalkanWeb, the Panorama newspaper and the media owner Irfan Hysenbelliu, labeling these media outlets as the "free speech mafia" and accusing the editorial offices of acting on instructions from the Prime Minister's Office.
The statements were made during Berisha’s weekly communication with supporters and were prompted by the coverage that these media outlets had given to Ervin Salianji, a Democratic Party figure who had filed for the party leadership. Berisha objected to the volume of coverage of Salianji, claiming that the television had “adopted” him and broadcast “16 news items in four hours.” He further alleged that Hysenbelliu was personally directing this coverage to mend relations with Prime Minister Edi Rama.
By using terms like “free speech mafia,” “unscrupulous mafia,” and “shameful mafia,” Berisha went beyond criticizing media coverage and employed language that delegitimizes the media and presents editorial decisions as politically driven or criminalized activities. The problem is not that a political actor opposes media coverage. The problem is the language that reframes journalism as an instrument of political betrayal and places journalists working in these media under suspicion before their work is evaluated on the basis of professional merit. In a polarized environment, such rhetoric can expose journalists and newsrooms to further hostility from political supporters who take this framing for granted.
Separately, Focus Media Group was affected by a serious media freedom incident in 2025, when state authorities surrounded the premises where they operate. News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama and Gazeta Shqiptare, journalists were blocked from entering the newsrooms and the broadcast News24 was discontinued. The May 2 statements add another layer of pressure on the same editorial offices, this time from a different political direction.
Over the past two years, SafeJournalists has documented hostile rhetoric against the media from political actors across the Albanian spectrum: from Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has described the media and critical political voices as “the kingdom of lies”, “freedom of defamation”, “ political-media swamp” and “pot”*, and who in March 2026 publicly accused two media outlets of money laundering and tax evasion without presenting evidence; from Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, who referred to journalists covering his arrest in February 2025 as “scum” and the media as “sluts”; and from Sali Berisha himself, who in September 2024 threatened to treat critical journalists as “members of a criminal organization”.
Different actors, different political positions, the same rhetorical move: media that does not align with the political line is recast as criminal, disloyal or instrumentalized by opponents. This reflects a shared political narrative that delegitimizes inappropriate coverage. It has consequences for journalists’ safety and editorial independence, especially during politically sensitive periods, including election cycles, corruption cases, institutional crises and internal party competitions.
The SafeJournalists Network reiterates that political leaders have the right to challenge media reporting, seek corrections, and respond publicly through legal and self-regulatory channels. Rhetoric that portrays journalists and newsrooms as criminal, disloyal, or instruments of political opponents goes beyond the bounds of legitimate criticism and contributes to conditions where journalists are pressured, harassed, or harmed.
SafeJournalists calls on all political actors in Albania to avoid this rhetorical pattern and will continue to monitor and document its consequences for journalists and media workers in the country.
* The term “tenxhere” in Albanian is used here in a derogatory manner to belittle and discredit media and critical political voices as noisy, empty, and unreliable.
