The institutional logic of news source selection in clentelistic media systems: A comparative study of Albania and Kosovo

This study examines source diversity in broadcast news in Albania and Kosovo’s hybrid clientelist media systems. Drawing on institutional theory, we explore how sourcing practices reflect competing logics of power, professionalism, and market pressures under conditions of uncertainty. Using a mixed-method approach that combines content analysis of prime-time news with survey data from journalists, we assess both the visibility of political and societal actors and the factors shaping source selection. Findings reveal persistent elite-centric sourcing patterns, with significant variation between the two countries. Albanian journalists report stronger influence from media owners, managers, and government institutions, indicating a highly hierarchical and clientelist structure. In contrast, Kosovo’s media system exhibits a more fragmented and fluid environment. Theoretically, this research challenges assumptions that institutionalized routines uniformly produce news source homogeneity or that clientelist systems completely suppress pluralism. By situating source diversity as a proxy for power distribution, the study contributes to debates on journalism in transitional democracies and highlights the tension between normative ideals and the realities of hybrid clientelistic media systems.