December, 2005

Kliko k ëtu për Verzionin Shqip

Media Release - Prishtina 9. December. 2005

Television still remains the main source of information for citizens of Kosova. The most preferred media in Kosova are TV21, Radio Dukagjini and Koha ditore, whereas most trusted media are Television of Kosova (RTK), Radio Kosova and Koha ditore. According to citizens of Kosova, the most important problem facing Kosova today is the undefined status of Kosova, together with unemployment, and at the same time these are two urgent issues that Government of Kosova should deal with. Majority of interviewees (88%) declare that Kosova should be and independent state within its current borders and 8% say that Kosova should unite with Albania . Index Kosova, joint venture with BBSS Gallup International, conducted the twelfth wave of the regular media survey in Kosova in November 2005. The survey in the field was conducted from 22-28 November 2005 and the survey included Albanian respondents and minority respondents (without Serbs) in Kosova. The selected sample is representative for the Kosovan population aged 15+ years. Questions on media were posed to all respondents (1,104 respondents, margin of error ±2.9%), whereas political questions were posed only to respondents aged 18+ years (1,020 respondents, margin of error ±3.1%).

Media Preferences

The main source of information for citizens of Kosova undoubtedly still remains television (85%), leaving radio (7%) and newspapers (6%) as completely secondary source of information. TV21 continues to be the most preferred TV channel in Kosova (88% - cumulative of three mentions), leaving behind the public television RTK (82%) and KTV (75%). Although preferences of respondents for different TV channels place channels quite close to each other, the actual viewership of national TV channels during the fieldwork results with greater differences. Therefore, in the last week of November 2005, 42% of respondents watched TV21, 37% watched RTK and 22% watched KTV. In this respect, TV21 has marked a slight fall of 4% compared to the last survey in August 2005, whereas RTK and KTV have marked an increase of 8%, and 6% respectively. The most trusted TV channel in Kosova is still public television RTK (48%), followed by TV21 (32%) and KTV (11%). Radio Dukagjini is the most preferred radio station in Kosova (46% - cumulative of three mentions), followed by Radio Kosova (32%) and Radio 21 (11%), where the two latter have marked a slight fall compared to the last survey in August 2005. On the other hand, Radio Kosova is the most trusted radio station in Kosova (21%), leaving Radio Dukagjini in the second place (16%) and Radio 21 in the third place (6%). Radio Kosova and Radio Dukagjini have marked small changes in the past three months, while Radio 21 has maintained the falling trend in its trust. Koha ditore remains the most preferred daily newspaper in Kosova (38% - cumulative of two mentions) and followed by Bota sot (19%), Zëri (11%), Epoka e re (8%), Kosova sot (8%), Lajm (8%) and Express (4%). As for the trust in daily newspapers, citizens of Kosova trust most Koha ditore (29%), then Bota sot (15%), Zëri (6%) and Epoka e re (6%).

Current Affairs

After the positive evaluation of implementation of standards for Kosova and after the beginning of talks on the final status of Kosova, seems like citizens of Kosova have shifted the emphasis of the most important problem in Kosova from unemployment to undefined status of Kosova, compared to the last survey in August 2005, when unemployment was much more emphasized. However, these two problems are now equally mentioned, where 42% of respondents consider that undefined status of Kosova is the most important problem, then 40% mention unemployment, 4% power/KEK and 3% each mention rebuilding the economy/infrastructure and poverty//low living standard. The urgency is even higher and the pressure of citizens on the Government of Kosova is higher for the resolution of the status of Kosova. More than half of respondents (52%) say that undefined status of Kosova is the most urgent issue that the Government of Kosova should deal with, after which unemployment is mentioned (18%) and rebuilding of economy/infrastructure (4%). “Kosova should be an independent state within its current borders” is the status preferred by the vast majority of respondents (88%), whereas 8% say that Kosova should unite with Albania . If Kosova does not become independent within its current borders, citizens declare that they would express different reactions. Close to one third declare that they would support political parties or groups that promise to resolve this problem and around one fifth say that they would take part in public demonstrations. Further, around 12% of respondents state that they would talk to their family and friends for this issue and around 9% would be indifferent by doing nothing about this issue. However, a portion of respondents declare that they would express their opposition by engaging in violent opposition (9%) and by assisting those engaged in violent opposition (6%), where both of these reactions have marked an increase compared to the last survey. More than half of respondents approve talks with Serbia on the final status of Kosova (39% strongly agree and 14% agree somewhat), whereas a greater majority approve talks with Serbia on technical issues (38% strongly agree and 24% agree somewhat). Currently, three most preferred leaders or personalities in Kosova are General Çeku, ex-prime minister Haradinaj and President Rugova. General Çeku has maintained the increase of his rating, whereas ex-prime-minister Haradinaj has kept more or less the same rating, and President Rugova has marked a significant increase in his rating, compared to the last survey in August 2005. Then follow Nexhat Daci, Soren-Jesen Petersen and Hashim Thaçi, whose rating has stayed relatively stable. Then we have Veton Surroi, marking a slight increase in his rating compared to the last survey in August 2005 and at the end we have Prime-minister Bajram Kosumi, whose rating is constantly falling. Citizens of Kosova continue to trust most KPC and KPS, institutions that have showed relatively stable trends with respect to trust in institutions. Then follow Kosova Assembly, President of municipality, LDK, Government, and AAK, where all of them have marked a increase in their trust compared to the last survey in August 2005. These institutions are followed by courts – that have marked a fall in trust, PDK – with a relatively stable trend and UNMIK Police – marking a slight fall in trust.

For more information, please contact: Index Kosova joint venture with BBSS Gallup International Rrustem Statovci 42 10000 Prishtina Phone: +381(0)38 229 241 Mobile: +377(0)44 218 339 www.indexkosova.com office@indexkosova.com