Tabaku clashes with MIA over Rama's false "message": An image is clarified, but the law...

A post from a fake profile on social media has led to a public clash between Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku and the Media and Information Agency.

Tabaku had shared an image attributed to Prime Minister Edi Rama, regarding his stance on Protected Areas. The post turned out not to have been published by the Prime Minister, which brought an immediate reaction from the Media and Information Agency.

In its response, MIA accused the Democratic MP of republishing a false statement and asked her to retract the post.

"Ms. Jorida Tabaku has reposted a non-existent status, falsely attributed to Prime Minister Edi Rama. It would be appropriate that, for the sake of truth and respect for the public, Ms. Tabaku retract this repost and apologize to all those who may have fallen into the trap of this forgery," stated MIA.

A few hours later, the reaction of the DP MP came, who deleted the post and made another clarification. 

"An image that circulated on the network immediately mobilized the Media Agency and the Prime Minister. While an image is clarified with a reaction; a law that contradicts European standards is corrected by a vote in the Assembly by undoing the amendments. The European Parliament's request for the repeal of the changes to the law on protected areas is official and clear. It is neither disinformation nor untruth and cannot be hidden behind the noise of social networks.

"Albania does not need propaganda about a false image. It needs answers based on facts. Repeal the law on protected areas! This is what Albanians want, this is what protesters demand, this is what Albania needs, this is what Europe is dictating to us now. The Prime Minister must respond to this request, because the clock of European integration continues and Albania has no more time to waste, not even time for propaganda," Tabaku's reaction reads.

Meanwhile, MIA reacted again, criticizing Tabaku for not publicly apologizing.

"Since Ms. Tabaku, instead of apologizing to the audience to whom she conveyed false information, chose to mock MIA for its commitment to the fight against disinformation ," the Agency's response states.