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Date of Graduation

5-2027

Description

Memories of Albania’s communist regime (1946–1991) remain deeply divided across generations, shaped by lived experience, family narratives and mediated representations. While individuals who endured exile or punishment often recall the period as traumatic and repressive, others who experienced social stability or benefited from state structures describe it as a time of economic security and relative equality. These competing interpretations raise important questions about how collective memory is formed, transmitted and contested over time. This thesis examines how intergenerational memories of communism in Albania are constructed and how media influences the preservation, reinterpretation or silencing of these narratives. Through the production of a documentary grounded in oral history methodology, the project collects testimonies from two groups: individuals who lived under the communist regime and younger Albanians whose understanding of the era derives primarily from education, family discourse, and contemporary media. These narratives are analyzed alongside archival propaganda materials and post-communist media coverage to evaluate how memory is shaped, challenged and institutionalized. By comparing firsthand accounts with mediated representations, this study explores the tensions between personal memory and public history. It analyzes how media platforms shape generational understandings of “truth” and legitimacy. The project places Albania within the broader field of post-authoritarian memory, emphasizing the role of storytelling in forming national identity. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that memory is continuously reconstructed through intergenerational conversations and media representations. Understanding these processes helps explain how societies transitioning from authoritarian rule confront conflicting interpretations of their past and how media preserves and shapes historical narratives.

Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Journalism

Advisor/Mentor

Tuychiev, Hayot

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities

Keywords

Humanities

Intergenerational Memories of Communism in Albania and the Role of Media

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