OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media to pay an official visit to Albania and convene the South East Europe Media Conference in Tirana

VIENNA, 15 May 2026 - On 18-19 May, the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media, in collaboration with OSCE field operations from the region, will hold the 11th regional South East Europe Media Conference "Strengthening Journalism as a Public Good" at the Rogner hotel in Tirana, starting at 9:30.

Key themes of the conference include:

• Safety of journalists — accountability measures, including criminal law approaches 
• Ethical journalism in times of societal polarization
• Digital surveillance and journalists’ rights — balancing security considerations with media freedom
• Journalists’ mental health and support systems 
• Media ownership transparency in practice — comparative regional analysis
• Regional implementation of the RFoM policy manual on Safeguarding Media Freedom in the Age of Big Tech Platforms and AI 
• Investigative journalism — case studies, practical tips and tools
• Media and information literacy — practical applications for informed audiences and mapping regional curricula

Journalists are invited to cover the conference. Selected sessions will be livestreamed here:

OSCE South East Europe Media Conference "Strengthening Journalism as a Public Good" | OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

From 20 -22 May, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ambassador Jan Braathu, will pay his first official visit to Albania. During his visit, he will meet with high-level authorities, as well as civil society representatives and various media stakeholders in the country.

For interview requests during the Representative’s stay in Albania, please contact Adis Mustedanagic at adis.mustedanagic@osce.org or call +4366488474962.