RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

RFE/RL BALKAN REPORT Vol. 3, No. 51, 3 December 1999

WHICH MEDIA ARE MOST POPULAR IN KOSOVA?

The independent Prishtina daily "Koha Ditore" ran the results of an opinion poll about the media in Kosova on 30 November. It shows that Kosovars prefer newspapers to electronic media and favor publications that advocate moderate policies.

The poll among 1,000 ethnic Albanians was conducted by the Sofia-based private media and market research institute Balkan British Social Surveys (BBSS) Gallup International in the course of October. The poll asked the respondents which media they use "often," "rarely," or "never." The survey shows that the main source of information for most Kosovars is newspapers, followed by radio. Television is only in third place, which presents a marked contrast to Serbia or Croatia, where state-run television is the main source of news. The prominence of newspapers in Kosova indicates that, unlike in neighboring Albania, the Kosovar dailies have managed to maintain a good network of newspaper vendors, including the selling of newspapers by grocery vendors.

A majority of 58.1 percent of the respondents said that they read "Koha Ditore" often, 21.1 percent read it rarely, and 18.8 percent never. The second most important daily is "Rilindja," which is closely linked to the shadow state of the moderate Kosovar leader Ibrahim Rugova. Some 36.6 percent of the respondents read it regularly, 29.8 percent rarely, and 33.6 percent never. The figures for another independent daily, "Kosova Sot," are just slightly lower, with a 36.3 percent regular readership and 31.2 percent less frequent readership. This is followed by "Bota Sot," which emerged recently to become the leading daily in the western diaspora. It is noted for its frequently polemical articles criticizing the Tirana government. Far behind follow the two minor papers "Dardania" and "Dukagjini," with only 4.1 and 1.5 percent regular readership, respectively. The main weekly in Kosova is the magazine "Zeri," which also has a edition in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The survey shows that papers promoting democratic debate--such as "Koha Ditore"--or those that were strong supporters of non-violent resistance in the past--such as "Rilindja"--still enjoy readers' trust. This also could indicate that among the majority of the population there is support for a moderate policy and a desire to overcome ethnic hatred. If so, the latest poll would also confirm a trend indicated already in an earlier opinion poll of BBSS Gallup International. Then, in early September, only 29 percent of the respondents said that they consider the UCK-backed provisional government of Hashim Thaci as legitimate. Even though the pro-Rugova shadow-state government of Bujar Bukoshi had the support of only eight percent of the population, most of the respondents made clear that they understand the realities on the ground, saying that the only legitimate government in Kosova is the UN Mission (UNMIK).

But the readership is not only guided by the democratic credentials of the newspapers, as a report in London's "The Independent" of 30 November points out. When gunmen tried to murder local Serbian leader Momcilo Trajkovic in Prishtina last month, "Koha Ditore" put his picture on page one. A journalist of the daily later said that "on that day alone, we lost 5,000 readers--just because we put his picture on the front.... Our readers wouldn't buy our paper because they saw Trajkovic's photograph."

Many Kosovars, however, appreciate internationally sponsored journalism, as the figures for radio listenership show. There are several foreign stations among the top six broadcasters mostly listened to by the Kosovar population. Among 20 radio stations listed in the questionnaire, respondents said they mostly listened to Radio Deutsche Welle, followed by the local private station Radio 21, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (which broadcasts only one hour per day), Radio Tirana, and an internationally sponsored local station called Radio Free Kosova.

Among 12 television stations mentioned in the questionnaire, most respondents said that they usually view the broadcasts prepared by a Kosovar team of journalists at the offices of Albanian Radio and Television in Tirana. The new UNMIK-sponsored Radio and Television of Kosova comes in second place, followed by international television stations such as BBC World, VOA television, and CNN International. Most of the viewers (75.4 percent) said that they use television more for obtaining news and information rather than for entertainment. The poll also found that only 60.9 percent of the families have a television set, but a comparably high number, 55.6 percent, own a satellite dish. Only 0.4 percent of the Kosovars have access to the internet.

Fabian Schmidt

Fabian Schmidt is a Research Analyst for the former Yugoslavia and Albania at the Suedost-Institut, Munich.

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