Albanian Media Reporting on Whistleblowing: On A More Engaged Role of Journalists in Improving Reporting on Whistleblowing

Supported by:National Endowment for Democracy

Project:Whistleblowing in Action: Detection and Correction of Corruption in Southeast Europe through Support to Whistleblowers and Strengthening of Rights and Free Speech

Whistleblowing exposes information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within a private or public organization. As such, it is increasingly recognized as an important tool for preventing and detecting corruption and other practices to the detriment of the public interest.

Whistleblowers are a key part of the journalism ecosystem, providing essential guidance and advice to journalists during their investigative work. Because of the sensitive issues they disclose, often journalists and whistleblowers have worked together on many issues. In many countries, journalists and whistleblowers have worked together to hold institutions accountable by informing citizens by helping to strengthen democracy.

In the Albanian context whistleblowing continues to be little known to journalists. This is best illustrated by the continuing negative reporting by the media of the issues related to whistleblowing particularly the process of adoption and implementing the law on whistleblowing.

This report draws on interviews with journalists to analyse some of the causes and motives that lead journalists in Albania towards negative reporting of whistleblowing and provides some recommendations that could lead to a modification of the reporting approach and improve the skills of journalists in handling cases involving whistleblowing.