At this end of the year 2024, I have the privilege and special pleasure to be with you, the seekers and defenders of the real news, guardians of our common information, and essential contributors to strengthening the values of democracy.

With your dedication and professionalism, every word you convey, every event you report, every story you give life to, affects the awareness of our society and the shaping of the public debate. You are an important bridge connecting events and society, making the truth known and bringing important information to our daily lives.

Your work is more than preparing and reporting the news. It is an act of courage in the service of the public, often carried out in challenging circumstances, with limited resources. You shoulder the responsibility of broadcasting professional news to the public at a time when you have to manage and filter hundreds of realities transmitted in dozens of forms, to bring us the true information.

The role of the media in protecting democracy, in debate and freedom of thought, is irreplaceable. Citizens seek and want information. They like to read, listen, understand, challenge, support, and debate. The more respected and professional the Albanian media is, the more informed and involved society will be, and the much stronger democracy will be.

The media has faced a series of important challenges, also highlighted in the latest progress report of the European Commission. The integrity and functioning of the media in our country are important topics for the present and future of our society.

In the era of social networks and communication technology that is developing at a dizzying speed, a large part of the burden of educating the public with the quality of news and young people with the passion for the profession of quality information falls on your shoulders. Your voice, your pen, the image you transmit, bring both clarity and orientation. You influence the way our society sees itself and reflects. In this regard, we need to cooperate to fight stereotypes, stigmatization, and various types of discrimination in the service of social, cultural, and intergenerational cohesion.

Social media have diversified information, given a voice to everyone, opened up great opportunities, but also new challenges. This diversification of news has come at a high cost for its quality due to misinformation and fake news, therefore, your role as information professionals is more important than ever. You are the ones who shed light on the truth by verifying information in an ocean of unfiltered content. This turbulent ocean of news and commentary has now been joined by Artificial Intelligence, which, like social media, has both unlimited potential and risks. Artificial Intelligence can enhance your work by opening new horizons for the transmission of information and the analysis of data, but technology must serve society, not the other way around. I urge you to use it with care, ethics, humanity, professionalism, and always in the service of the truth.

Facing these challenges requires cooperation between institutions, media organizations, and civil society to protect press freedom, ensure accurate information, and support the development of a sustainable, credible, and impartial media environment.

We live in a polarized world with different worldviews between generations, social groups, and cultural groups. Communication in various environments, especially in schools, has become more difficult. I invite you to join forces in everyday life and in innovative initiatives to provide positive examples and practices of peaceful and quality communication.

In the intensity of images and voices on many networks, let us encourage and present the voice and image of citizenship, self-restraint, knowledge, and understanding, all of which are necessary for a developed society and a prosperous and prosperous future in our country.

This is especially necessary in times like ours, very challenging. Conflicts and wars continue in Europe and the Middle East. In these times of tension, the real news is found only in professional media, which are undoubtedly challenged by both fake and deep fake news, as well as financial difficulties. However, the voice of courageous media professionals has not been lacking and professional media remains a compass that guides us in the correct assessment of the complexity of realities.

I assure you that the President has the attention and the will to listen to you and support you. Your effort and integrity are sacred.

You are respected professionals and an inspiration for young men and women who will follow your path, to dedicate yourself to the truth and a challenging profession in the service of the fundamental right to information.

Your profession constitutes a vital mission for society. It is a guarantee for a more just society. Undoubtedly, not everything depends on you, but you have the fourth power, perhaps the most powerful in today's world. I hope you use this power responsibly.

I am and will remain your collaborator and supporter for a well-informed society, for transparent governance and for political and social dialogue, meaningful and peaceful. I wish you that this new year you can exercise your beautiful profession as journalists in complete independence and freedom, to seek the truth, to be able to transmit it to the public without being disturbed or put at risk.

Your fair, timely, and impartial information breathes life into the debate and nourishes our democracy.

At this moment of reflection, in a year filled with important events for the country, the nation and its citizens, I would like to thank you for your hard work and courage.

Happy New Year!