In an attempt to improve their rankings, an Albanian TV station, Zjarr, took a different approach to news broadcasting by hiring a young journalist who presented the news braless.
Albania, located in the Balkans, Europe, is being considered a conservative country, where about 60 percent of the population is Muslim, so this decision caused a stir on the social media, triggering a huge number of comments by people from the country and beyond.
Despite the buzz this decision sparked, it turned out to be a huge success.
”In Albania, where the news is manipulated by political powers, the audience needed a medium that would present the information like it is – naked,” Zjarr TV owner Ismet Drishti told AFP in 2016.
The nudity the journalist showed was simply a way to demonstrate transparency on television.
”We don’t sell sex, we reproduce the news as it is. It’s both symbolic and good publicity,” said Drishti.
The TV station started this concept in 2016 and has been implementing it ever since, with the host, 21-year-old Enki Bracaj, turning into an overnight star in her homeland.
”Most agree that her presentation style is a bit unconventional, but we are actively working on that. Honestly, it doesn’t seem to be hurting her viewer ratings at all,” a spokesperson for the channel commented.
In fact, it was Enki herself who gave the station the idea of her presenting the news braless when she appeared at the job interview with her blouse open. Reflecting on her decision, Enki said, ”I simply found a way to put myself ahead in this competitive industry.”
She also added that she had consulted with her parents and they supported her, so it made things easier. ”It was clear that if I wanted to succeed, I needed to be brave and offer something different,” she said.
When Enki left the TV station, rumors were that she was not satisfied with the salary, but in reality, Zjarr believed she crossed the line when she accepted a modeling gig for Playboy.
Her replacement, 24-year-old Greta Hoxhaj followed into Enki’s footsteps when it came to her appearance while on the job.
”I worked hard for five years in local television, where I remained unnoticed,” a cheerful and relaxed Hoxhaj told AFP. ”I regret nothing — within three months, I became a star.”
According to Hoxhaj, the way she dressed for TV was a lot more provocative than her everyday style.
It didn’t take long before videos of the Albanian presenters went viral. When they pop up on the social media, they gather plenty of attention and comments from people whose opinions are divided. While some love them others say there should be greater accountability from the media in the fight for respect and equality.
”There are too many women on TV whose necklines are way too low on various shows. In the last episode of AGT, the two women wore dresses that were VERY questionable. Now, I don’t care what women wear in their everyday lives, but TV should have better standards,” someone commented. Another person added: ”It’s pathetic to have accepted such a thing just to be on screen.”
There are also those who don’t see anything wrong with the way the presenters are dressed.
Despite the comments and the critical stance the President of the Union of Albanian Journalists took, saying, “Nudity cannot resolve the crisis in the media, which will do anything to survive,” Hoxhaj doesn’t pay much attention to the comments.
“What matters to me is that I’m doing well, both in my work and in my newfound fame. I live a beautiful life filled with love,” she shared.
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