The space of sensational news and hate speech news in the Albanian written press

Abstract

After crossing the early stages of transition in Albania, the main assembly in the press was placed by political news, it seems that this relay was already taken by conflictual news, as well called the “sensational” news. Press is turned to the news that sells more. The audiences of written media, but also the media in general are more interested in the conflictive news, paying attention to actuality, which is directly related to their lives, giving a second importance to political news.

Newspaper editors and executives recognizing the new trend of their audience have given more space and weight conflicting news that tends toward the negative, but that makes sensation turning again the newspaper to the old postulate “The bad news is good news “.

Regarding to a still fragile democracy in Albania, this phenomenon raises the larger question whether newsrooms of newspapers have faded the well-known relationship media- politics, paying more attention and importance to the media – audience relationship? Have the models of media altered over the years of democratization?

The answer to these questions will be drawn as a result of the measurement of space occupied by these two fields in the pages of main newspapers in Albania throughout a 2-month monitoring. Also, as an outcome of a comprehensive analysis of journalistic discourse in the political and actual affairs.