Braless News Anchors Create Controversy: Viewers Are Divided

There are many ways to get attention, but the Albanian TV station Zjarr does it in a very unique way.

A few years ago, their choice to have braless news anchors caused a lot of reactions — and people are still talking about whether it was daring and creative or just inappropriate.

In a time when women have fought hard for equal treatment at work, respect for their dignity, and an end to being objectified in the media, an Albanian news program brought back this debate with a very bold decision.

In 2016, the TV channel ZJARR made news by using a shocking style — featuring anchors in revealing clothing — to attract viewers and improve ratings.

The news presenters wore open jackets with nothing underneath while sharing the latest stories. This choice created a big stir in Albania, a small and conservative country in the Balkans, Europe.

 

The owner of the TV station said that this approach worked well — and maybe even needed to happen because of Albania’s past.

For 40 years, the country was under the control of Enver Hoxha, a famous communist leader who ruled from 1944 until he died in 1985. His government was known for strict censorship, civil oppression, and a lack of trust among people.

“In Albania, where news is controlled by political powers, the audience needed a way to get information that was real — naked,” Zjarr TV owner Ismet Drishti told AFP in 2016.

“A bit unconventional” Drishti explained that the nudity of their hosts was a way to show transparency and fairness on TV.

“We don’t sell sex; we present the news as it is. It’s both meaningful and good for publicity,” said Drishti.

Because it was so successful, the owners wanted to expand the idea. For a time, Zjarr TV thought about also showing news in French and English with “bare information,” following the same style.

 

The idea also made the channel’s presenters famous. One of them was Enki Bracaj, 21, who hosted an international news show. Her striking outfits, which often showed her cleavage, attracted many viewers and led to high ratings.

“Most people agree that her style is a bit unusual, but we are working on that. Honestly, it doesn’t seem to hurt her ratings at all,” a spokesperson for the channel said.

Consulted with her parents
Enki Bracaj got her big job after auditioning with her blouse open, showing she was not a typical journalist.

At the time, the young woman was studying public relations at her local university. In 2016, she talked about her choice to go braless during the audition, saying: “I found a way to stand out in this tough industry.”

Enki shared her views on being different: “I knew that to succeed, I had to be brave and offer something unique.” She also mentioned that she talked to her parents before making her decision, and their support helped her a lot.

Fired after Playboy offer
However, there were clear limits on what Zjarr TV would accept from its news anchors. Officially, Enki left the channel because she was unhappy with her salary, but her coworkers hinted at another reason.

The real reason was that when Enki Bracaj accepted a modeling job with Playboy, her bosses at the TV station thought she had gone too far. Nudity and even topless bathing are still not accepted in conservative Albania, where about 60 percent of the people are Muslim, according to Daily Mail.

Finding a new star
After the popular Bracaj was fired, the channel needed a new presenter. They chose the more experienced 24-year-old Greta Hoxhaj. Like Enki, she also began working in revealing outfits.

“I worked hard for five years in local TV, where I wasn’t noticed,” a happy Hoxhaj told AFP. “I regret nothing — in three months, I became a star.”

In her daily life, she usually dressed like other women her age, but every morning at the channel, she became someone different, wearing a revealing pink jacket to read the news. Her bold look “is just for TV, for information,” she said.

Criticism
Zjarr TV isn’t the only place where female anchors have shown more skin. In Venezuela, for example, a presenter on a news website stripped naked to celebrate a victory in the Copa America football tournament.

Pictures from the Albanian channel spread quickly, and videos of the attractive news anchors went viral on social media. One clip of the unclothed presenters got nearly 700,000 views on YouTube and continues to draw attention.

 

While many internet users were eager to find out where they could watch the controversial show, others are speaking up to demand more accountability from the media in the fight for respect and equality.

“It’s sad to accept such a thing just to be on screen,” said one online critic, while another called the move “outrageous” and “disgustingly sexist.”

Images of Greta Hoxhaj often appear on Facebook, sparking ongoing debates. Sometimes, these talks grow into a bigger discussion about how TV presenters dress in general.

“There are too many women on TV with necklines that are too low on different shows. In the last episode of AGT, the two women wore dresses that were VERY questionable. I don’t mind what women wear in their everyday lives, but TV should have better standards,” commented one person.

However, opinions remain mixed.

“I see nothing wrong with this picture. It will make men pay more attention to the news,” wrote another person.

“Everyone is free to change the channel.”
Interestingly, the response from feminist groups and journalist associations in Albania has been quite low. Zjarr TV has received little reaction from these organizations.

“There is a variety of choice, and everyone is free to change the channel,” said Leonard Olli, a journalist and PR expert in the capital, Tirana.