Prime Minister Edi Rama continued his exchange with Reporters Without Borders this Thursday. Rama’s latest response came after Reporters Without Borders, through a social media post on Thursday, urged him to focus on media freedom issues rather than on their reports.
In his response, Rama emphasized that he had presented verified data showing that Albania is 33 percentage points below the threshold usually associated with “captured” media systems.
According to him, his intention was not to prove them wrong, but to share additional fact-based information. Among other things, he urged them not to dismiss empirical evidence simply because it leads to a different conclusion from their own.
“Pointless? Wow. That is a surprisingly dismissive reaction to data that appears both credible and highly relevant. You are presented with strongly verified data showing that Albania is 33 percentage points below the threshold usually associated with ‘captured’ media systems, and yet you believe this has no significance?
Honestly, my purpose here was not to prove you wrong. I simply thought it was worthwhile to share additional fact-based information, assuming that you would be open to objective and impartial sources, even when they challenge existing assumptions.
I also believed it could be encouraging to acknowledge that Albania remains far from fitting the definition of a ‘captured media’ environment, despite the very real challenges that still exist in improving media standards and protecting journalists.
I have never questioned the importance of the concerns raised in your platform, and I would sincerely welcome the opportunity to discuss them further with you and your local partners at any time. Just suggest a date and place, and I will gladly participate, because for years I have hoped to engage in the kind of meaningful dialogue that you say you look forward to.
At the same time, I would encourage you not to dismiss empirical evidence simply because it points to a different conclusion. It may even be worthwhile to engage directly with the young people behind this impressive artificial intelligence-based tool and explore whether there is room for cooperation in further strengthening your methodology.
Ultimately, getting closer to the truth matters more than holding on to conclusions that may deserve reconsideration. I look forward to meeting around a roundtable, and until then, I will continue to share any new findings that may contribute to the discussion,” Rama wrote.
The post Prime Minister Edi Rama Responds Again to Reporters Without Borders appeared first on Euronews Albania.
