Kosovo First European Country Not Printing Newspapers

Gazeta Express

11/06/2020 16:26

Kosovo has stopped printing all its daily newspapers as part of COVID-19 pandemic measures but is highly likely the youngest country in Europe will stop printing them as online media market is at its highest peak.

Technology, large number of online media outlets combined with high percentage of internet penetration (88 % according to the Kosovo’s Agency of Statistics), will remove from stands and shops one of the three traditional forms of journalism.

All dailies which were printed in Kosovo such as Kosova Sot, Zeri, Koha Ditore, Epoka e Re and Bota Sot, now are keeping only their online version, making Kosovo most likely the first country in Europe without printed newspapers.

The leading daily of Kosovo, Koha Ditore, is offering an online version of the actual newspaper for the subscribers, but during the pandemic they have decided to allow free access to all readers with a simple subscription. It remains unknown whether they will resume printing again once the pandemic is over.

In a new era of digital content, media organisations in Kosovo are building innovative new formats focusing heavily on video content and other new media, creating a habit of reading news through mobile phones. According to various reports, TV remains the main source of information in Kosovo.  

Gazeta Express was the first medium in Kosovo which has stopped printing the newspaper and was focused on developing online version. Gazeta Express stopped printing on 22 March 2013 and today is one of the most clicked media in Albanian speaking areas. GazetaExpress/