Through the project “Strengthening Independent Media and Promoting the Security of Journalists in Kosovo” supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development of the United Kingdom through the British Embassy in Pristina and Albany Associates, KosovaLive in cooperation with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK), has held a roundtable discussion on the sustainability of local media with the latest technological changes.
Panelists at this roundtable were Fatmir Menekshe from Radio Romano Avazo in Prizren, Edon Gërbani from Arena Mediale in Gjakova, Shkumbin Kajtazi from Jepi Zë in Mitrovica and Milic Petrovic from Radio Gorazdevac in Peja.
During this discussion various issues were raised about the sustainability of local media in the country, including funding difficulties, non-integration of all languages spoken in Kosovo, depreciation of equipment and small opportunities that local media have for development.
Some of the recommendations that came out of this roundtable are:
- A fond to be created for local media in Kosovo, in order to create sustainability;
- Bridges of cooperation to be created between central and local institutions and the media themselves;
- A law on local media financing to be drafted, to ensure information coverage for each region of Kosovo;
- As local media are closer to information in different places in Kosovo, the authorship of the first publisher of the news should be preserved.
