President Bajram Begaj’s Address to Journalists at the Year-End Reception
At the close of 2024, I have the privilege and special pleasure of being with you, seekers and guardians of the true news, custodians of our shared information and crucial contributors to the strengthening of democratic values.
With your dedication and professionalism, every word you convey, every event you report, every story you bring to life, impacts our society’s awareness and shapes public debate.
You are a vital bridge between events and society, revealing truths and bringing critical information into our daily lives.
Your work goes beyond merely preparing and delivering news. It is an act of courage in public service, often carried out under challenging circumstances and with limited resources. You shoulder the responsibility of delivering professional news at a time when you must manage and filter hundreds of realities transmitted in dozens of forms to bring us accurate information.
The media’s role in defending democracy, fostering debate, and ensuring freedom of thought is irreplaceable. Citizens seek and desire information; they enjoy reading, listening, understanding, challenging, supporting, and debating.
The more respected and professional the Albanian media is, the more informed and engaged our society will be, and the stronger our democracy will grow.
The media has faced significant challenges, as highlighted in the latest European Commission progress report. The integrity and functioning of the media in our country are critical topics for today and our society’s future.
In an age of rapidly evolving communication technologies and social networks, you also carry much of the burden of educating the public about news quality and the younger generation about the passion for quality information.
Your voice, your writing, and the images you broadcast bring clarity as well as guidance. You influence how our society sees itself and reflects.
In this regard, we need to collaborate to combat stereotypes, stigmatization, and various forms of discrimination in the service of social, cultural, and intergenerational cohesion.
Social media has diversified information, given a voice to everyone, opened significant opportunities, and also presented new challenges. This diversification of news has come at a high cost to its quality due to misinformation and fake news, making your role as information professionals more crucial than ever. You are the ones who shed light on the truth by verifying information in an ocean of unfiltered content.
The turbulent sea of news and commentary has now also been joined by Artificial Intelligence, which, like social media, holds boundless potential and poses risks. AI can enhance your work by opening new horizons for information dissemination and data analysis, but technology must serve society, not the other way around. I encourage you to use it carefully, ethically, humanely, professionally, and always in service to the truth.
Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among institutions, media organizations, and civil society to protect press freedom, ensure accurate information, and support the development of a stable, trustworthy, and impartial media environment.
We live in a polarized world with differing perceptions among generations, social, and cultural groups. Communication in diverse environments, especially in schools, has become sharper.
I invite you to join forces in daily life and innovative initiatives to provide positive examples and practices of peaceful and quality communication.
In a world full of intense images and voices on multiple networks, let’s promote and present the voice and image of civility, restraint, knowledge, and understanding—all essential for a developed society and a prosperous future in our country.
This is especially necessary in challenging times like ours, with ongoing conflicts and wars in Europe and the Middle East.
In these tense times, true news is found only in professional media, which is undoubtedly challenged by both fake news and financial difficulties.
Still, the voice of courageous media professionals has not been absent, and professional media remains a compass guiding us in accurately assessing the complexities of reality.
I assure you that the President is attentive and willing to listen and support you. Your effort and integrity are sacred.
You are esteemed professionals and an inspiration for the young men and women who will follow in your footsteps, dedicating themselves to the truth and a challenging profession in service to the fundamental right to information.
Your profession is a vital mission for society. It is a guarantee for a fairer society.
Undoubtedly, not everything depends on you, but you wield the fourth power, perhaps the most potent in today’s world.
I hope you use this power responsibly. I am and will remain your collaborator and supporter for a well-informed society, transparent governance, and meaningful and peaceful political and social dialogue.
I wish you in this new year may you practice your noble profession as journalists with complete independence and freedom, to seek the truth, and to convey it to the public without worry or danger.
Your accurate, timely, and impartial information breathes life into the debate and nourishes our democracy.
At this moment of reflection, in a year filled with significant events for the country, the nation, and its citizens, I thank you for your tireless and courageous work.
Happy New Year! May 2025 bring you delightful innovations, high audience and readership, and many successes!
May the new year 2025 be filled with joy, success, and inspiration to continue your important mission.