a change of rules which would restrict the freedom of movement of journalists.
Media freedom in Albania suffered in 2021 due to concerns over the further solidification of government control over the flow of information. 14 alerts were recorded with 24 individuals or media entities affected. The independence of the system for media regulation also came under threat, while the establishment of a new government agency which would centralise control over public relations and government information raised further worries about media’s access to information . The MapMF documented a few cases of heavy-handed police action in 2021. In July, journalist Ergys Gjencaj from televi‐ sion channel News 24 was tackled to the ground and detained for an hour after he tried to film an anti-drug operation by police near the Military Academy in Tirana. The police also roughly pushed Gjencaj’s colleague Klodiana Lala and obstructed both from filming. In a serious case in November, reporter Anila Hoxha from Top Channel and her colleague Endrit Aga of A2CNN TV had their lives ...