Social protests and institutions: Practices of communication and accountability

Social movements and protests in the Balkans region have been frequent in the last years. While these initiatives are a good opportunity for positive social change, their results are debatable and the communication potential is not always used to the best advantage. This publication addresses the relation between social movements, the practices in their communication, and the effects on accountability of institutions, researching the practices of communication around protests in three Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. The research focuses on communication practices by three main actors in protests (citizens, government, and media), attempting to shed light on the opportunities and limitations in communication, as well as review the effects of communication on accountability of institutions. The publication includes the regional overview, which identifies the trends, similarities, and differences between the three countries in terms of communication during protests, as well as the Albanian country report. The publication is in the framework of the regional project led by Media Center Sarajevo, with the participation of the School of Journalism and Public Relations (SJPR) , and Albanian Media Institute, under academic guidance of Peace Institute, Ljubljana. The project was supported by Regional Research Promotion Program, Western Balkans. 

Read this publication in Albanian