A TV news channel in Albania is committed to giving viewers the naked truth by using half-naked news anchors.
The idea is that braless news presenters boost viewership and the reporters seem to not mind the exposure.
But has it worked?
Braless TV News Anchors on Zjarr TV
A few years ago, Zjarr TV decided to take a literal approach to the journalistic principle of giving people the naked truth.
Starting 2016, news anchors of the television station, who are young beautiful women, started appearing on screen with nothing underneath their open-bust jackets.
The idea was to boost viewership amid tough competition. It appears to have worked as the presenters still read news braless to date.
Boosting Viewership by Seducing Viewers
Speaking to AFP, Ismet Drishti, the owner of Zjarr Tv said that the tactic worked—the braless news presenters boosted viewership.
He defended the move by arguing that the news in Albania is influenced by political powers.
In 2023, a report by Freedom House classified press freedom and free speech as “partly free” from political interference.
“In Albania, where the news is manipulated by political powers, the audience needed a medium that would present the information like it is—naked,” Drishti said.
“We don’t sell sex, we reproduce the news as it is. It’s both symbolic and good publicity,” Drishti said.
At the time, he said there were plans to launch English and French TV stations following the same model.
Competition in the Albanian News Market
Albania’s TV market is quite competitive, with six national broadcasters and at least 37 local stations. Zjarr TV is not among the top TV stations in the country.
Other factors contributing to the competition, and which would incentivize a TV station owner to use unconventional methods to boost viewership include:
- Digital Media Growth: With the rise of digital media, including online news websites and social media platforms, traditional news outlets face competition from new digital players. These digital platforms often offer real-time updates, multimedia content, and interactive features, attracting audiences away from traditional mediums.
- Pluralism and Political Affiliation: The Albanian media landscape is characterized by a variety of outlets with different political affiliations. However, the top outlets are owned by a few rich individuals and organizations. This lack of significant media pluralism makes it difficult for independent and small outlets to make it to the top.
- Audience Fragmentation: With the advent of digital media, audiences have become more fragmented, with individuals accessing news from multiple sources across various platforms. This fragmentation increases competition among news outlets to capture and retain audience members.
Criticism of Braless TV News Anchors
Using braless news presenters in the conservative and majority Muslim Balkan nation was a risky move that attracted criticism both online and offline.
On social media, some pointed out that the move is sexist, adding that the TV station is objectifying women. Others saw it as a lack of integrity in journalism.
Criticizing Zjarr TV’s decision of braless presenters, the president of the Union of Albanian Journalists, Aleksander Cipa, told AFP the tactic only made worse the reality of dwindling TV audiences.
“Nudity cannot resolve the crisis in the media, which will serve anything to the public to survive,” he said.
The Presenters Do Not Mind Reading News Braless
One of the braless news presenters, Greta Hoxha, told AFP she did not mind it because it boosted her publicity.
“I worked hard for five years in local television where I remained unnoticed,” she said. “I regret nothing — in the space of three months I became a star.”
She claimed that her fame landed her a job offer from an Australian TV channel.
Learn more about Greta Hoxha here: All About Greta Hoxha: The Scantily Dressed Albanian News Reporter
She’s not the only one who presents news partly-naked on Zjarr TV. In fact, she landed her spot after Enki Bracaj, then 21 years old, lost her job after posing for the American adult publication Playboy.
It appears the station was not willing to risk having in its ranks an employee whose completely topless images are published online.
