Media Pluralism in Kosovo

Twelve indicators of media pluralism offer a comprehensive evaluation of the media sector's vitality in Kosovo, analyzing economic, legal, and political dimensions. These indicators scrutinize the levels of media market concentration both horizontally within individual sectors and vertically across different forms of media, while also considering the robustness of regulatory safeguards in place for media ownership and cross-media ownership. They probe the transparency of media ownership, the degree of political control over media outlets and infrastructure, as well as state involvement with media resources. Additionally, these metrics assess how well the media landscape in Kosovo supports net neutrality and the extent to which it fosters a public debate that is inclusive of all voices and viewpoints

Media Audience Concentration

high

Media Market Concentration

no data

Regulatory Safeguards: Media Ownership Concentration

high

Cross-media Ownership Concentration

high

Regulatory Safeguards: Cross-media Ownership Concentration

high

Ownership Transparency

medium

Regulatory Safeguards: Ownership Transparency

Medium

Political Control Over Media Outlets

HIGH

Political Control Over Infrastructure

low

State Control Over Media Resources

low

Regulatory Safeguards: Net Neutrality

medium

Gender Imbalance in the Media Industry

HIGH

Key Findings

Regulatory Safeguards: Concentration

Absence of Regulation on Concentration of Media Ownership

Kosovo lacks mechanisms and a legal foundation to prevent the concentration of media ownership within a single business or individual.
In contrast, developed countries, including those in the EU, have established legal regulations to prohibit individuals from owning a large number of media outlets.

Media Market Concentration

The State and Media Conceal Media Finances

Understanding the sources of media funding in Kosovo proves to be an elusive task for the public. Some outlets keep this information private, while the country's institutions have disclosed financial data for only two media entities. In August, BIRN, in collaboration with the Global Media Registry, initiated an investigation into the funding sources of the media landscape.

Ownership Transparency

Opaque Transparency in Kosovar Media

When asked about their ownership and revenues from advertising, media outlets in Kosovo are not transparent. A comprehensive investigation into the ownership of Kosovo's media has revealed a lack of transparency in the country's media landscape, stemming from a legally muted framework that fails to guarantee transparency.