Browsing by Author "Saliu, Hasan"

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Cultural Diplomacy of Kosovo after the Declaration of Independence
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan; Llunji, Venera
The article analyzes a segment of the cultural diplomacy of non-state actors of Kosovo who have communicated with foreign audiences through the international media in the period after the country's declaration of independence in 2008. Analyzing the content of media coverage for non-state actors, the article examines the given messages of these actors in some powerful international media, which relate to the possibility of increasing the international image of the new country. The article finds that Kosovar non-state actors have continuously communicated with the global and regional public because it has been impossible for state actors to convey any positive message to the latter. The article, moreover, shows that Kosovar famous athletes and artists or world champions represent the soft power of Kosovo, because they have found enough space to be exposed in the international media. A significant feature of cultural diplomacy in the case of Kosovo is that the presence of hundreds and thousands of foreign peacekeepers in a country with as much security as other Balkan countries is also seen as an opportunity to influence the country's international image.
EXPERIENCES WITH AND RISKS OF INTERNET USE AMONG CHILDREN IN KOSOVO
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan; Rexhepi, Zija; Shatri, Saranda; Kamberi, Mimoza
This paper aims to explore the use of, experiences with, and risks of internet among children in Kosovo. This country has never been involved in the European project called Kids Online. Through a survey based on the Kids Online questionnaire, 437 children aged 11-16 were surveyed in 34 schools across the country. The results show that over 90% of children of this age stay online from one to six hours; YouTube and Instagram are the most preferred platforms; over 90% of them own smartphones. Conversely, many parents have admitted to being less knowledgeable about technology than their children. Parental mediation and schooling remain important, and the paper recommends the introduction of Media Literacy as a separate subject in pre-university education in Kosovo.
Gaps in Public Diplomacy: Analyzing the Approaches of Veteran Authors
(AAB College, 2025-07-15) Saliu, Hasan
This is a review of A research agenda for public diplomacy, by Eytan Gilboa (Ed.) (Edward Elgar Publishing).
Gutenberg’s death in the Balkans: news values in Kosovo and Albania
(AAB College, 2025-07-09) Saliu, Hasan
When the audience shifted online in the age of social media and platformization, the gulf amongst journalists on what constitutes news today grew. Television journalists and editors continue to feel that the public should be provided with the information they need, i.e. the elite-centric method, whereas digital journalists and social media managers believe that the public should be presented with what the public wants, i.e. the popular-centric approach. As a result, the aim of this article is to investigate the news values considered by journalists and editors in Kosovo and Albanian media. The results of in-depth semi-structured interviews with journalists, editors, and social media managers demonstrate that Kosovo, which has the youngest population in Europe, has no paper press since the beginning of 2020, although the press in Albania survives for traditional third-age readers. Televisions are elite-focused; however, in Kosovo, televisions adapt items for social media, aimed at a younger audience. In both countries, digital journalism is increasingly audience-focused, with sensation, entertainment, and conflict as the primary news values. Regardless of the standardized methods, the article proposes that different countries be evaluated for newsworthiness based on their political and socioeconomic environments.
Gutenberg’s death in the Balkans: news values in Kosovo and Albania
(AAB College, 2025-07-15) Saliu, Hasan; Izmaku, Xhevahire
When the audience shifted online in the age of social media and platformization, the gulf amongst journalists on what constitutes news today grew. Television journalists and editors continue to feel that the public should be provided with the information they need, i.e. the elite-centric method, whereas digital journalists and social media managers believe that the public should be presented with what the public wants, i.e. the popular-centric approach. As a result, the aim of this article is to investigate the news values considered by journalists and editors in Kosovo and Albanian media. The results of in-depth semi-structured interviews with journalists, editors, and social media managers demonstrate that Kosovo, which has the youngest population in Europe, has no paper press since the beginning of 2020, although the press in Albania survives for traditional third-age readers. Televisions are elite-focused; however, in Kosovo, televisions adapt items for social media, aimed at a younger audience. In both countries, digital journalism is increasingly audience-focused, with sensation, entertainment, and conflict as the primary news values. Regardless of the standardized methods, the article proposes that different countries be evaluated for newsworthiness based on their political and socioeconomic environments.
INTERNATIONAL IMAGE OF THE COUNTRY THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION, CASE OF KOSOVO
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Countries aim to enhance their image in order to derive economic, trade, tourism benefits, but also to create political and military alliances, cultural or ideological benefits. For this reason, the increase of image is an important dimension for the performance of the state interest. To accomplish this interest by increasing international image of the country, state and non-state actors take various measures often using communication channels, spots, they organize various student’s visits, or cultural exchanges etc. This paper deals with strategic communication activities in Kosovo to increase its image, the value selected for this purpose, is communication channel and the expected effect of these activities. Findings show that the most expensive campaigns, was wrong value message, communication channels and the public didn't see in holistic perspective.
MULTIPLE TARGET AUDIENCES, CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PRISTINA-BELGRADE DIALOGUE
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Political actors often use media to convey messages of self-praise to the public. In such cases, they give the media only the information representing their positive side. When the developments in society pose increasing public interest as was the case with the last agreement between Pristina and Belgrade which is treated in this paper, the parties pay more attention to presenting themselves as winners against each other, rather than being concerned with informing the public about the real content of the international agreement. The findings of the paper show that a message giver, which could be either the Serbian party or the Albanian party of Kosovo, has at the same time four groups of message receivers: the country’s opposition, its electorate, the opposing parties and the international mediation party. Considering that their message is addressed to those four different types of public, the findings show that the givers of the message do not hesitate to massage the message in order to impact the four different groups of public, and use media only as a transmission channel of their public relation strategies.
Narratives of Public Diplomacy in the post-Truth Era: The decline of Soft Power
(AAB College, 2025-07-15) Saliu, Hasan
This article aims to build a better understanding of today’s communicative changes of public diplomacy in the post-truth era. Today, our communication environment has changed compared to decades ago: about 5 billion people communicate online and compete among themselves through their social media narratives, which are the main platform for the distribution of fake news in the post-truth era. The question posed here is: what are the winning narratives in the complex global environment of public diplomacy? Through problematizing review, this article analyses the sources of soft power which were described at the end of the Cold War, and which remain effective even in today’s communication environment. Also, the purpose and influence of public diplomacy has been problematized, analysing how to influence foreign government by influencing its citizens. The paper concludes that the values of soft power described three decades ago only have limited and specific effects on non- European publics, but not on European ones. Additionally, it is impossible to influence European governments by influencing their publics through public diplomacy because the context has changed and the values of soft power in these countries no longer have the former distinctive gap between them.
Navigating media literacy in the AI era: Analyzing gaps in two classic media literacy books
(AAB College, 2025-07-09) Saliu, Hasan
The migration of the public into online platforms, the full mediatization of everyday life, the transformation of individuals into media entities via social media, the emergence of new forms of bottom-up censorship, and the involvement of non-human actors (such as AI) as media communicators and producers, have profoundly reshaped contemporary society. For these reasons, this study aims to analyze these pivotal transformations and assess how effectively they are addressed by two seminal media literacy texts, which have dominated the 21st century with media literacy editions, one by author James Potter and the other by Stanley Baran. Utilizing a problematization methodology, the research identifies gaps in these texts’ coverage of contemporary media phenomena and concepts. These two classic texts lack concepts that are very influential in today’s online life, such as mob censorship, social media literacy, post-truth and the role of AI in online communications. Moreover, integrating artificial intelligence into media production necessitates a practical approach to media literacy. This paper advocates for a holistic approach to media literacy education that equips learners with the skills needed to navigate and critically engage with today’s media landscape effectively.
Navigating media literacy in the AI era: Analyzing gaps in two classic media literacy books
(AAB College, 2025-07-15) Saliu, Hasan
The migration of the public into online platforms, the full mediatization of everyday life, the transformation of individuals into media entities via social media, the emergence of new forms of bottom-up censorship, and the involvement of non-human actors (such as AI) as media communicators and producers, have profoundly reshaped contemporary society. For these reasons, this study aims to analyze these pivotal transformations and assess how effectively they are addressed by two seminal media literacy texts, which have dominated the 21st century with media literacy editions, one by author James Potter and the other by Stanley Baran. Utilizing a problematization methodology, the research identifies gaps in these texts’ coverage of contemporary media phenomena and concepts. These two classic texts lack concepts that are very influential in today’s online life, such as mob censorship, social media literacy, post-truth and the role of AI in online communications. Moreover, integrating artificial intelligence into media production necessitates a practical approach to media literacy. This paper advocates for a holistic approach to media literacy education that equips learners with the skills needed to navigate and critically engage with today’s media landscape effectively.
Newsworthiness for Television and Digital Journalism in Kosovo
(AAB College, 2025-07-15) Saliu, Hasan
Today’s public has mostly moved online, but the media has also moved there to reach this audience. News organizations as well. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore what television journalists and digital journalists in Kosovo consider news. Using semi-structured interviews with 18 television journalists and internet journalists, the paper explains the news values that journalists in Kosovo now consider. The study concludes that, while digital media journalists believe they are providing the public with more clickable or desirable news, television journalists continue to provide the public with what they believe to be essential subjects about which the public should be educated.
Public Diplomacy and Related Concepts from the Perspective of Lasswell’s Communication Model
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
The purpose of this article is to explore the differences between public diplomacy and similar concepts that relate to the country’s international image. Concepts such as public diplomacy, traditional diplomacy, foreign policy, international public relations, propaganda, national branding, etc., are often seen as synonymous. A mere observation of these concepts is provided in the literature review. These concepts are elaborated based on the communication actors’ perspective, the inter-communicating parties, the message providers, the message recipients, and the mode of communication, whereas identifying the differences and distinctions between them is realized according to the Lasswell communication formula. The conclusions show that this communication approach provides more potential to identify the differences between these concepts as compared to the current approaches, which view them from an interdisciplinary perspective.
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OR PUBLIC GLOCALIZATION? RETHINKING PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE POST-TRUTH ERA
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Public diplomacy is the communication of state and non-state actors with foreign publics for beneficial objectives. Nowadays, in this connected world, public diplomacy activities have changed. Scholars are divided into two main groups regarding these activities: the first group rates listening as the most important dimension of public diplomacy, whereas the other group considers information management to be its main activity. The choices of both groups, however, are based on the communication period before the emergence of social media, deep mediatization, fake news and the post-truth era. Therefore, this article aims to review the hierarchical taxonomy by analysing new communication considerations. It concludes that in the post-truth era, with 4.5 billion of the world population using online platforms and with a billion messages sent every day, listening no longer serves as the main dimension of public diplomacy. Information management now serves as the main form of communication, whereas public diplomacy has become public glocalization.
RETHINKING MEDIA DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY TOWARDS A NEW CONCEPT: DIGITAL MEDIA DIPLOMACY
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Modern digital media have enabled the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to talk to foreign parliaments while his country is at war. Zelensky’s virtual communications are not aimed at enhancing Ukraine’s international image, as in traditional forms of public diplomacy; rather, they seek to obtain military assistance and reach a mutually beneficial outcome for his country. These, however, are activities of media diplomacy, a concept that scholars have abandoned over the last two decades in favour of public diplomacy. Through a critical review, this study examines the division between these concepts and other related concepts and analyses the role of the media in international communications, including those in times of war. The widespread use of technology and social media, as well as the specific diplomatic communications that have allowed Zelensky to talk to the world, have led to the conclusion that the current concepts of media diplomacy, public diplomacy, and digital diplomacy are not appropriate in the current circumstances. Therefore, a new concept is proposed: digital media diplomacy.
REVISITING HALLIN AND MANCINI'S MEDIA MODEL: ALBANIA AND KOSOVO
(AAB College, 2025-07-15) Saliu, Hasan; Abrashi, Gazmend
This study aims to examine the professional standards of journalists in Albania and Kosovo to determine the relevance of Hallin and Mancini's media system in the age of digital journalism and social media. This is because the media system continues to be an important analytical tool for understanding the fundamental characteristics of national media and comparing media sectors across countries. A qualitative method was utilized to elucidate this, with semi-structured interviews performed with 22 television and digital journalism editors and journalists, as well as social media managers in Albania and Kosovo. The findings indicate that although television stations continue to target traditional audiences using professional journalism standards, journalists in digital journalism and social media compromise on professional standards to give the public what they want. Although Hallin and Mancini’s media system as an analytical framework for evaluating media models remains useful, the criteria for evaluating them should be changed in light of changes in the media environment over the last two decades.
The Evolution of the Concept of Public Diplomacy from the Perspective of Communication Stakeholders
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
The purpose of this article was to analyse the concept of public diplomacy from the perspective of communication actors. Public diplomacy implies the communication between state and non-state actors and the foreign public, and the process of informing, influencing, establishing long-term relations and realizing foreign policy goals. While most studies to date view such communication activities as social interactions, some scholars consider them to be foreign policy activities, in which case the concept of public diplomacy is explained in terms of an interdisciplinary approach. Through the critical literature review, this article argues that public diplomacy shows the interaction between different communication stakeholders and the foreign public, where the former give direct messages and often achieve the desired effects through communication channels. By analysing public diplomacy activities carried out by communication actors, the article concludes that the concept of public diplomacy
THE NEW NATURE OF CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN THE AGE OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Countries undertake different actions to improve international image in order to benefit politically, economically, culturally, etc. This is made through actions of public diplomacy, where cultural diplomacy is an important dimension. It doesn’t use media as mediating channel, but communication with foreign public is carried through different exchanges, visits, tourism, diaspora, etc. This makes communication more reliable than information and influencing foreign public through media. However, lately, online communication through different platforms, where people from different cultures and countries exchange messages, has also changed the nature of traditional cultural diplomacy. This enables creating an image for their country or receiving an image for another country, whereas on the other hand and simultaneously this makes communication with the foreign public more complex and unmanageable.
The Return of Media Diplomacy: Examples from Kosovo
(AAB College, 2025-07-15) Saliu, Hasan; Abrashi, Gazmend
After the Cold War, states focused their campaigns on self-promotion on the global stage, so media diplomacy has been pushed to the periphery, hence not being a central research theme. However, the geopolitical clashes over Kosovo and the war in Ukraine have repositioned the role of media diplomacy in international politics. This paper aims to analyze Kosovo's media diplomacy in the following key moments: at the time of the declaration of independence (2008), and during the Russian aggression in Ukraine (2022). Data were collected from global media such as CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and The New York Times, which have given space to Kosovo’s political actors and influential global politicians. The US president Bush was the example of the enormous media coverage in 2008. Messages of these communications were analyzed using the framing method. The results show that media diplomacy revived in three cases: before and after Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008, and again in 2022, with the fear that the Russian scenario for Ukraine would be followed by Serbia against Kosovo. Also, media diplomacy today establishes communications between countries with no diplomatic relations and even between countries with strained relationships.
THE SPECIFICS AND COMPLEXITY OF EU PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
The European Union (EU) is responsible for important public diplomacy programmes, including Erasmus+. Most European countries engage in activities to enhance their international image parallel to the efforts of the EU itself. By comparing the public diplomacy activities of the USA, as the founder of public diplomacy, and those of the EU, this paper aims to identify the EU’s distinctive features in its image-enhancing endeavours. The paper concludes that the EU and the USA often show that they hold different values, ones that make them more attractive to foreign publics. The paper also notes the soft power held by EU member states continues to be much stronger than the effects of the EU’s public diplomacy activities in boosting their image.