Court reporters and journalists gathered in Tushemisht - Pogradec, for a two-day training, “Reporting Justice Accurately: Professional Standards in Legal and Court Reporting”, organised by the joint European Union and the Council of Europe action on Protecting Freedom of Expressions and of the Media in Albania (PROFREX), in co-operation with the Association of Albanian Journalists.

The activity strengthened journalists’ professionalism and ethics in covering justice and court-related matters — vital for transparency, media integrity, and Albania’s progress on its EU accession path.

Accurate, impartial, and responsible reporting of legal and judicial processes plays a crucial role in ensuring public trust in the justice system. The training addressed the growing need for media professionals to understand Albania’s legal framework, the principles of open justice, and the European standards safeguarding freedom of expression (Article 10 ECHR) and the right to a fair trial (Article 6 ECHR).

 Over two days, participants joined expert presentations, practical exercises, and group discussions on:

• open justice and access to court information;

• ethical and legal boundaries in media coverage of trials;
• contempt of court and defamation risks;
• protection of sources and privacy rights;
• building constructive media–judiciary communication.

Through simulations and case studies from the European Court of Human Rights, participants applied theory to practice and reflected on dilemmas, such as balancing public interest with individual rights.

By the end, they had deepened their understanding of judicial processes and improved their ability to report accurately, ethically, and responsibly on cases of public interest, while building stronger professional networks between journalists and members of the judiciary to foster transparency and public trust.

This training was organised by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression and the action Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in Albania  part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

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