| ISSN: | 1640-1808 |
RESEARCH PAPER
Media Coverage and Migration Policy Attention in Kosovo: Television, Public Perceptions, and the Political Agenda
1
Institute for Sociological, Political and Juridical Research, University Ss Cyril and Methodius – Skopje, Kosowo
2
Institute For Sociological Political And Juridical Research, University Ss Cyril and Methodius – Skopje, North Macedonia
Submission date: 2025-11-27
Final revision date: 2026-06-28
Acceptance date: 2026-06-29
Online publication date: 2026-10-17
Publication date: 2026-10-17
Corresponding author
Fatime Lumi Qehaja
Institute for Sociological, Political and Juridical Research, University Ss Cyril and Methodius – Skopje, Ndue Përlleshi, 10000, Prishtinë, Kosowo
Institute for Sociological, Political and Juridical Research, University Ss Cyril and Methodius – Skopje, Ndue Përlleshi, 10000, Prishtinë, Kosowo
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Abstract
This study examines how television coverage of emigration in Kosovo (2008–2024) contributes to the political salience of migration in a small-state, post-conflict context. Drawing on nineteen semi-structured interviews with television editorial representatives and researchers/professionals, the analysis identifies three interrelated mechanisms: dominant human-interest framing, heightened public sensitivity through emotionally resonant storytelling, and symbolic institutional responsiveness. The findings indicate no direct causal link between television coverage and specific policy decisions. Instead, migration becomes politically salient through mediated agenda-building processes that shape public prioritisation and institutional positioning. By empirically grounding these dynamics in professional perceptions from both media producers and external experts, the study contributes to media and social policy research through a context-sensitive model of mediated political attention in a transitional democratic setting. The study also highlights how sustained television visibility, emotional storytelling, and narrative framing contribute to maintaining migration as a socially sensitive and politically visible issue within Kosovo’s public discourse.
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