In the last decade the onset of technological innovation and the ongoing financial crisis has shaped the landscape of traditional media visibly. No portion of the media landscape is spared the turbulence of the radical change brought about by digitization. At the same time, development of social media, its impact on traditional media and public debate and life, cannot be ignored and division lines between traditional and new media are increasingly blurred. This study takes it upon itself to present a general overview of the development of online media and social media in Albania, focusing particularly on how professional media outlets use social media.
The empirical research focused on monitoring me most widely used social media in Albania, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram and the blogosphere, as well as the six leading online media in Albania from August 2014 to August 2015. The methodological approach consisted of monitoring development of traditional media and social media in a parallel way, pinpointing convergence attempts.