Social Media in Albania

The Albanian media landscape is rich and diverse. After the fall of communism and the establishment of the democratic pluralist system, in a large number of newspapers, television channels, and private radio stations were established. Currently, only the Public Radio and Television (RTSH) and the News Telegraphic Agency (ATSH) are public media, while all other media are privately owned. Social

Social media

The first free and pluralistic social media in the country were established in 1991, immediately after the fall of communism. They were primarily newspapers belonging to newly created political parties. Later on, other independent private media outlets would open one after another. Currently, the number of newspapers and magazines published across the country is estimated to be over two hundred. A list of titles of the press in the Albanian language (a total of 209) is published on Wikipedia. However, this list does not include only newspapers and magazines published in Albania, but also others published outside Albania's borders. Additionally, some titles currently on the market are missing from this list.  Website.

In Albania, 26 national newspapers are published, a very high number for the population. There are no certified and official data regarding the circulation and sales of newspapers. Newspaper editorial offices are not obligated to publish the number of copies sold, and there is no official authority responsible for verifying this data. According to one source, the best-selling newspaper in the country does not exceed 20,000 copies per day, while most newspapers sell fewer than 1,000 copies per day.

Broadband internet and  Web

The transition to broadband internet and Web 2.0 marked a significant development of social media and user-generated content even in Albania. The penetration rate of social media in the country has increased significantly, especially in the last five years, by reaching 45 percent of the population in February 2014. This figure is higher than the European average, which at that time reached in 40%.

The number of social media users during this period was estimated to be around 1,400,000 people. Thus, from one of the countries with the lowest social media penetration, Albania managed to rank 18th in Europe in 2014, surpassing even developed countries such as Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, and others. A large portion of users, around 980,000 (or about 33% of the population), access social media through mobile phones.