Edi Rama and Albanian stupidities

It had only been several days since Edi Rama had assumed office as minister of Culture that August of 1998, when “Koha Jone”’s journalist, which covered this section, had an incident. She came out of his office in tears and in tears she entered the paper’s newsroom. Everyone was worried about her state until she told them the reason: After I managed to get in his office for an interview, minister Rama received me by saying: So, the next ignorant is here?

Accustomed to threats, beatings, imprisonments and all sorts of things, to us, who had surrounded our colleague, this was a caress, nonetheless, bizarre. We were dumbstruck by this direct insult, which was never heard before. The newsroom, which was buzzing, suddenly fell quiet. We have had disputes over editorial policies of the newspaper, but we had never been insulted in such way.

Even 20 years later, Edi Rama has not changed. He continues to call journalists ignorant, who make stupid questions, who don’t read and who do not hear. Those who think that Rama attacked the media that day to divert attention from “Tahiri” scandal, are wrong. To me, those who try to make Rama look like a tactician, are either naïve or obsequious. Why does Rama often behave with the media this way? I think that there are several convincing reasons which we all know, but we don’t express. Perhaps, time has come to be blunt about things and surprisingly, this time came for the one who considered questions made by journalists as stupid questions.

EDI RAMA DOESN’T NEED JOURNALISTS

This is the first Prime Minister who has undermined the role of the journalist. He’s the brainchild  of these readymade tapes. He’s the author of the first TV broadcaster with his own logo on it, ERTV; the brainchild of a special relation with the media, he has managed to completely undermine the role of journalists. There’s another reason that confirms this. In more than one occasions, the Prime Minister has said that he doesn’t read newspapers. Is there anything more significant than this? Of course, he does this because he doesn’t need to read as he knows what’s on the media. Given that he doesn’t need any journalists, he doesn’t even need the media.

EDI RAMA IS OUR MEDIA PRODUCT

Today’s young journalists suffer what we, experienced journalists, have done for years. We must say: Edi Rama is our product. Even his most critical journalists used to like him before. Even if a journalist steps on his principles once, he cannot have the morale to criticize and comment someone, on the pretext of cleansing himself.

EDI RAMA AS A PUBLICIST

Edi Rama is one of those rare prime ministers who have exerted journalism in an excellent manner. His articles for “Koha Jone” in 1995-1997, remain to this very day an exemplary reaction against Berisha’s regime at that time. A master of speech, we will not be exaggerating if we said that as a publicist, Edi Rama may be compared to people like Fan Noli, Mit’hat Grasheri, Faik Konica, Vangjel Koca, Selahudin Toto, etc. Having this weapon in his hands, he never feels inferior toward a journalist or an analyst. Every article that he sees and reads, he compares it to the way he could write it.

EDI RAMA DEALS WITH MEDIA OWNERS

Why are we surprised? Premier Rama deals with media owners. Edi Rama never deals with the journalist, editor or editor in chief in case he has an issue, but he deals directly with the owner. The owner is the only person who can solve the issue for him. Rama is the first and only politician in Albania who has undermined the role of editor in chief. The editor in chief or director of a particular media, has turned into a timing belt between Rama and the media owner. He never decides on the editorial policy and what should be published or not. An editor in chief of Rama’s era is not an editor in chief. And Rama doesn’t need one.

EDI RAMA AND DIVIDED MEDIA

Sometimes due to the media’s fault, sometimes due to the divisions that Rama has made to it, today we have an outrageous relation between the government and journalists. We all know that there are journalists that Rama calls all sorts of names. But he also has his favorite journalists or journalists who have left work as a result of him. The surprising thing has to do with the way we behave with him. How come there’s no solidarity among us, journalists, when there is a problem?

MEDIA’S PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

Edi Rama is right when he says that journalists do not know how to read. We don’t want to say it in public, but why shouldn’t we say things as they are. Edi Rama is right when saying this. Currently, the Albanian media is divided into three categories: Journalists who have a very good formation. They have character and do not violate their principles. In the second group, we have mediocre journalists of an average level, who pretend they know everything. But, they are the most dangerous species of our community. In the third group, we have journalists who are not very known, but their relevance relates to the fact that they are in constant search of news. It’s easier for Rama to call names to the second and third group. When he says that journalists don’t know how to read, even us, who are part of the media, know that he’s right.

EDI RAMA ENTERED HISTORY

It’s been an old desire of his to enter history. Although he entered politics the way he did, he managed to achieve a lot. He reached the peak with the post of mayor and chairman of SP. But he wanted to be on the top. He managed to become prime minister in 2013. Now, he has entered history. After winning a second term in office, he has nothing left in his political life. His goals for the future consist on winning other elections and leave behind his descendant in the SP and government. This is why he doesn’t need the media a lot.

EDI RAMA’S POLITICAL FUTURE

Edi Rama has come to a point when he doesn’t feel any special emotions if he makes any mistakes with the media. He has never regretted anything he has said when he was not in power or when he was a small minister of the SP, let alone now, after winning a second term in office with an unprecedented amount of votes in these 27 years. So, he’s thinking of his retirement. When the time comes, he will write memoirs and perhaps say how he used to tell us journalists that we asked stupid questions.

Note: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Albanian Free Press’ editorial policy