In a media age dominated by short attention spans and
aggressive competition for clicks, one small European TV channel sparked a
debate that refuses to die — nearly a decade later.
Back in 2016, the Albanian station Zjarr TV stunned viewers by doing something few could have predicted: it stripped away not only the spin from news coverage — but quite literally the clothing of its presenters. Anchors began reading the day’s top stories braless, wearing open jackets with nothing underneath. What started as a radical approach to transparency quickly turned into an international sensation — and a lightning rod for fierce, ongoing cultural debate.
A Nation Emerging From Shadows
To understand
how such a controversial format took root, you have to look at Albania’s
history. For more than four decades, the country was gripped by one of Europe’s
most oppressive communist regimes under Enver Hoxha. Censorship was absolute,
paranoia ran deep, and truth — especially in the media — was a tightly guarded
commodity.
So when Zjarr
TV’s founder Ismet Drishti launched the format, he wasn’t just chasing ratings.
According to him, it was a symbolic rebellion against the manipulation and
propaganda that had long dominated Albanian broadcasting.
“In Albania,
where the news is manipulated by political powers, the audience needed a medium
that would present the information like it is — naked,” Drishti told AFP at the
time. The message? Strip away both the physical and metaphorical layers — and
present truth unfiltered.
But the execution sparked more than headlines. It
sparked outrage.
A Strategy That Worked — For a Time
Viewers were undeniably intrigued. Ratings soared. News segments went viral on YouTube and social platforms across Europe. The station’s videos, some amassing hundreds of thousands of views, became a global curiosity. Was this brilliant marketing? Media innovation? Or shameless objectification in a new disguise?
Amid the firestorm stood Enki Bracaj, a then-21-year-old student studying public relations, who instantly became the face of the phenomenon. She had auditioned with her blouse open — a bold move that landed her the anchor seat.
“I simply
found a way to put myself ahead in this competitive industry,” she explained
later. “It was clear that if I wanted to succeed, I needed to be brave and
offer something different.” Despite the backlash, Enki stood by her decision —
even noting she had consulted her parents before making the career-defining
move.
Her
presentation style was polarizing. Yet, as the station noted, “it didn’t seem
to be hurting her viewer ratings at all.”
Pushed Too Far? Playboy and the Breaking Point
But there were
limits. Enki’s growing fame caught the attention of Playboy, who offered her a
modeling opportunity. The result? Immediate dismissal from Zjarr TV.
Officially, she
left over salary disputes. But behind closed doors, colleagues hinted that her
Playboy spread was a line the network — despite its boundary-pushing image —
wasn’t ready to cross. Albania, after all, remains a largely conservative
society, where approximately 60% of the population is Muslim, and public nudity
is still taboo.
Enki’s
departure left a void the network was desperate to fill.
Enter Greta Hoxhaj — And A Reinvented Star
To replace Bracaj, Zjarr TV tapped 24-year-old Greta Hoxhaj, who had toiled for years in local television with little recognition. Almost overnight, she became a star — following the same near-topless format that had made her predecessor famous.
Another Zjarr TV newsreader. The story was on the Albanian potato crop...or was it Syria. Did I even have sound on? pic.twitter.com/IrUggDTfdh
— A.C. Edwards (@thesecurityguy1) February 28, 2016
“I worked hard
for five years in local television, where I remained unnoticed,” she said in a
candid interview. “I regret nothing — within three months, I became a star.”
Greta made it
clear: the revealing outfits were just part of the job. “In my everyday life, I
dress like any normal girl,” she explained. “But when I step into the studio, I
transform — that look is only for television, for information.”
The Public Divides — and the Internet Explodes
As clips
circulated online and global media outlets picked up the story, reactions were
predictably divided. One viral comment summed up a popular perspective: “It
will make particularly men more attentive to the news.” Another viewer called
the station’s tactic “outrageous” and “disgustingly sexist.”
Facebook threads
still host heated discussions on whether media has a responsibility to uphold
certain decorum — or if viewers, as some argue, should simply “change the
channel.”
Even other
countries began to mimic the format. In Venezuela, one news presenter famously
stripped down to celebrate a Copa America football win — proving the allure of
“nude news” was hardly confined to the Balkans.
Muted Response from Feminists — But Critics Speak
Surprisingly,
Albania’s feminist organizations and journalist associations stayed largely
silent. But not everyone withheld criticism.
Leonard Olli,
a journalist and PR expert in Tirana, offered a neutral stance: “There is a
diversity of choice, and everyone is free to change the channel.” On the other
hand, Aleksander Cipa, President of the Union of Albanian Journalists, was more
direct: “Nudity cannot resolve the crisis in the media, which will do anything
to survive.”
Greta: “I’m Not Listening to the Hate”
As for Greta
Hoxhaj, she seems unfazed by the controversy. “What matters to me is that I’m
doing well, both in my work and in my newfound fame,” she said. “I live a
beautiful life filled with love.”
In her
neighborhood, fans stop her on the street. Flowers arrive weekly. Her inbox
overflows with messages from admirers. And she insists: the positive feedback
far outweighs the hate.
A Bigger Conversation About Women, Media, and Visibility
Beyond the
initial shock value, Zjarr TV’s bold strategy forces a difficult question: in
an age where media is struggling to survive, do provocative visuals actually
promote transparency — or do they compromise journalistic integrity?
The story of
Albania’s “nude news” isn’t just about ratings. It’s a window into how gender,
spectacle, and cultural taboos continue to shape the global media landscape.
And as long as networks chase clicks — and audiences reward spectacle — the line between information and entertainment may remain as revealing as the anchors who deliver it.
Post a Comment