Mekuli criticizes the media for the platform they gave Sheholli: Whom did the microphones serve?

Journalist Gëzim Mekuli has reacted to the indictment filed by the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Fatmir Sheholli, who is suspected of espionage and blackmail.

In his reaction, Mekuli questioned the fact that Sheholli had been presented in the media for years as an analyst and expert. According to him, if the prosecution’s allegations are confirmed by the court, responsibility should not be limited to the individual but should also extend to the media outlets that gave him a platform and credibility.

“The question that should be directed at the Albanian-language media today is: whom have your microphones served?” Mekuli declared.

The full reaction published on Facebook:

When UDB agents and spies take on the role of the voice of public opinion

The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo has filed an indictment against Fatmir Sheholli for “espionage” and “blackmail.” According to the allegations made public, he was recruited by Serbia’s BIA and had collected and transmitted information about political developments, security, and Kosovo’s institutions.

For me, the main question is not limited to the actions of one person. It must also be explained how he managed to appear for so long as an “expert,” “analyst,” and honored guest voice on television studios and media portals.

His words were treated as arguments, his opinions were presented as analyses, while his statements were quoted and directly influenced the shaping of public opinion. In this way, Serbia may have influenced the formation of our shared perception. This is not a new concern for me, as I raised it as early as 2001 through studies, criticism, and the scholarly books “The Media and Politics” 2003 and “The Speeches That Bloodied the Balkans” 2021; works that, according to him, have been censored by Kosovo’s media, academic, and political mafia.

Dear readers,

If the court confirms the prosecution’s allegations, then we are facing a shocking situation: a person suspected of acting in Serbia’s interests may have had privileged access to Albanian-language media and may have influenced the way the public viewed Kosovo, politics, and Albanians within Kosovo.

Therefore, this cannot be considered merely an individual matter. Responsibility also falls on the media that gave him a microphone, authority, and legitimacy.

Propaganda does not necessarily have to be written openly by propagandists. It may be enough for someone to repeat it in a television studio and for the media to present it as the position of an “analyst.”

The question that should be put to the Albanian-language media today is direct: whom have your microphones served, the Albanian public or the interests of old Serbia?

Note: Sheholli is considered innocent until proven guilty by a final court ruling.