Ten Media Outlets Complete Projects Under Audience-engaged Journalism Grants Scheme

After eight months of dedicated work, ten media outlets have successfully completed their projects under the Audience Engaged Journalism Grants scheme. This program stands as a cornerstone of the Media Innovation Europe project, which aims to strengthen media outlets in an ever-evolving media landscape. Simultaneously, these outlets strive to attract new audiences while delivering high-quality content that resonates with their communities.

At the heart of this initiative lies the concept of audience engagement. The ten grant recipients from Balkan and Visegrad countries directly involved their communities in the storytelling process, utilising an audience-engagement digital tool developed by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN.

“The audience-engaged tool was a very positive and useful way of letting people be heard and finding out what’s important to them,” Budapest-based Atlatszo testified. They used BIRN’s platform to collect personal health information from hundreds of patients, revealing the existence of unofficial waiting lists in Hungary – a concerning crisis in the country’s healthcare system.

Through innovative methods such as crowdsourcing personal experiences, data, photos and engaging with sensitive communities, the media outlets have produced impactful investigative stories. The collaborative effort has resulted in numerous successful narratives that shed light on critical issues affecting their local and regional communities.

Srebrenica-based UPS sought to understand the unemployment challenges faced by young people in a small local community devastated by high rates of youth emigration. They turned to crowdsourcing personal experiences, echoing the approach taken by the Kujto Foundation, which used human stories and institutional confrontations to expose Albania’s neglect of the missing persons issue during the communist regime – a three-decade-long silence that left families to search for their loved ones’ remains on their own.

The investigative approaches employed in these initiatives have shown exceptional effectiveness in engaging communities on important issues and shedding light on matters of significance to them.

In Skopje, Lice v Lice reached out to women victims of domestic violence, with the aim of influencing decision-makers to improve protection. Kosovo 2.0 delved deep into the subject of revenge porn, a topic that increasingly affects women. Montenegro’s Roditelji collected thousands of testimonies from women who had experienced obstetric violence, amplifying the voices of women who “are not heard”. “The project encouraged a large number of women to speak about their experience,” said the journalists of Roditelji.

The Audience Engaged Grants project is designed to encourage media outlets to engage diverse audiences, with a particular focus on women, youth, and minorities. Vis and Oko engaged with youngsters in Serbia and North Macedonia to uncover the problem of school violence in the online world, casting a spotlight on this concerning issue in the region. “TV Channel VIS reached more young audience on social media profiles, and awareness for our media outlet grew among young people,” said the TV VIS journalists from Strumica, North Macedonia.

Subotica-based Subotičke and Prague-based Romea involved the Roma community in their reporting to combat prevalent stereotypes. “We have seen a strengthening bond with the Roma community, fostering mutual understanding and trust,” said Subotičke.

Romea journalists received audience suggestions through BIRN’s tools, contributing to their award-winning show, “Desetminutovka puls”, while investigating inequalities in Roma representation in the Czech media. The Romea TV show featured ten Roma characters in order to provide a counter-narrative to prevailing stereotypes about the community.

To empower these outlets to effectively tell their stories, the participants received funding for their individual or cross-border story, access to the audience-engaged tool and four days of training. They also were assigned a BIRN mentor to work closely with them on story development.

Launched on June 1, 2022, “Media Innovation Europe: Energizing the European Media Ecosystem is a two-year program led by the Vienna-based International Press Institute, IPI. The consortium brings together the Berlin-based Thomson Foundation, the Kyiv-based Media Development Foundation, MDF, and BIRN.

During the first cycle of the Audience Engaged Journalism grants run by BIRN, more than 30 journalistic products were made, including podcasts, investigative articles and radio and television shows.

As the first cycle project concludes, the broader impact of the stories created by the grantees will continue to resonate, promising a more informed future for both media and their audience.

 

 

Serbian Language Teacher

Under the project “Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists”, funded by the European Union, BIRN aims to increase the capacities of professional journalists and promote cultural diversity by engaging 20 Albanian journalists in Serbian language courses, to be ready to report on topics on the northern part of Kosovo and Serb-majority areas.

BIRN is looking to hire:

Position: Serbian Language Teacher
Period of Employment: 6 months, 4 hours per week;
Contract: Services

This activity will be implemented in cooperation with our project partner TV Mreza, which will engage 20 Serbian journalists in learning Albanian in order for them to have access to Albanian resources.

Requirements for the position:

– Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in a language or other social science;

– Excellent knowledge of Serbian and Albanian languages;

– Previous experience in teaching the Serbian language;

– Excellent communication skills;

– Willingness to work flexible hours;

Duties and Responsibilities:

– To plan the teaching program and relevant literature;

– To organise and evaluate the level of knowledge based on test results;

– To ensure the progress of all participants;

– To maintain correspondence and draft reports related to teaching;

– To cooperate well with the team and the person in charge.

Note: Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the courses will be held online.

To apply, send a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter in Albanian and Serbian by email to [email protected], describing the position for which you are applying, no later than February 28, 2021.

BIRN encourages applicants of all genders, and offers equal employment opportunities to all interested persons, without prejudice on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity or political background.

Please find additional information on BIRN Kosovo and the EU funded project “Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists” at www.birn.eu.com.


BIRN është në kërkim të plotësimit të pozitës së lirë:

Pozita: Mësimdhënës/e për gjuhë serbe
Periudha e punësimit: 6 muaj
Kontrata: Shërbime 

Në kuadër të projektit “Forcimi i Qëndrueshmërisë së Gazetarëve të Tanishëm dhe të Ardhshëm të Kosovës“, i cili financohet nga Bashkimi Europian, BIRN synon të ngritë kapacitetet e gazetarëve profesional dhe të promovojë diversitetin kulturor duke angazhuar 20 gazetarë shqiptarë në kurse të gjuhës serbe në mënyrë që të jenë të gatshëm për të raportuar në tema për pjesën veriore të Kosovës dhe zonat me shumicë serbe.

Ky aktivitet do të realizohet në bashkëpunim me partnerin tonë të projektit, TV Mreza, organizatë kjo e cila do angazhojë 20 gazetarë serbë që të mësojnë gjuhën shqipe në mënyrë qe të kenë qasje edhe në burimet shqipe.

 Kriteret për të përmbushur pozitën:

Diplomë universitare në nivel Bachelor në gjuhë apo shkenca të tjera sociale;

– Njohja e shkëlqyer e gjuhës serbe dhe shqipe;

– Përvojë të mëhershme në mësimdhënie të gjuhës serbe;

– Aftësi të shkëlqyeshme komunikimi;

– Gatishmëri për të punuar me orar fleksibil;

Detyrat dhe përgjegjësitë:

– Planifikon programin për mësimdhënie me literaturë të zgjedhur;

– Organizon dhe vlerëson nivelin e njohurive në bazë të rezultateve të testeve;

– Kujdeset për të arritur zhvillim te secili pjesëmarrës;

– Mban korrespodencë dhe përgatit raporte në lidhje me mësimdhënien;

– Bashkëpunon mirë me ekipin dhe personin përgjegjës.

Shënim: Për shkak të situatës aktuale me COVID-19, kurset do të mbahen online.

Për të aplikuar duhet të dërgoni një Curriculum Vitae (CV) dhe një letër motivimi në gjuhën shqipe dhe serbe përmes postës elektronike në adresën [email protected], duke përshkruar pozitën për të cilën aplikoni, më së largu deri më 28 shkurt 2021.

BIRN inkurajon aplikuesit nga të gjitha gjinitë, si dhe ofron mundësi të barabartë punësimi për të gjithë personat e interesuar, pa kurrfarë paragjykimi mbi baza gjinore, fetare, etnike ose politike.

Informata shtesë për BIRN Kosova dhe projektin e financuar nga BE “Forcimi i qëndrueshmërisë së gazetarëve të tanishëm dhe të ardhshëm të Kosovës” mund të gjeni në www.birn.eu.com.


BIRN je u potrazi za kandidatima koji bi popunili slobodno radno mesto:

Radno mesto: Nastavnik/Nastavnica srpskog jezika
Period zapošljavanja: 6 meseci, 4 sata nedeljno
Ugovor: Usluge

Kao deo projekta „Osnaživanje profesionalnih kapaciteta sadašnjih i budućih novinarki i novinara na Kosovu„ koji finansira Evropska unija, BIRN ima za  cilj da podigne kapacitete profesionalnih novinara i da promoviše kulturnu različitost, angažovanjem 20 albanskih novinara koji će pohađati kurs srpskog jezika, kako bi bili spremni da izveštavaju o temama u vezi sa severnim delom Kosova i područjima sa većinskim srpskim stanovništvom.

Ova aktivnost biće realizovana u saradnji sa našim projektnim partnerom, TV Mrežom, koja će angažovati 20 srpskih novinara za učenje albanskog jezika, kako bi imali pristup izvorima informacija na albanskom jeziku.

Kriterijumi koje kandidat za ovo radno mesto mora ispunjavati:

– Završene osnovne studije jezika ili bilo kojih drugih društvenih nauka;

– Odlično poznavanje srpskog i albanskog jezika;

– Prethodno iskustvo u držanju časova srpskog jezika;

– Odlične veštine komunikacije;

– Spremnost za rad na fleksibilno radno vreme;

Dužnosti i odgovornosti:

– Planira nastavni program koristeći izabranu literaturu;

– Organizuje i ocenjuje nivo stečenih znanja, na osnovu rezultata testiranja;

– Stara se da svaki učesnik ostvari napredak;

– Vodi korespondenciju i priprema izveštaje u vezi sa nastavnim procesom;

– Ostvaruje dobru saradnju sa timom i odgovornim licem.

Napomena: Usled aktuelne situacije sa pandemijom KOVIDA-19, kursevi će biti održani onlajn.

Za prijavljivanje, pošaljite biografiju (CV) i propratno pismo, na albanskom i srpskom jeziku, elektronskom poštom na adresu [email protected], uz naznaku radnog mesta za koje se prijavljujete, najkasnije do 28. februara 2021. godine.

BIRN podstiče prijavljivanje kandidata svih polova i pruža jednaku mogućnost zapošljavanja svima zainteresovanima, bez predrasuda po rodnoj, verskoj, etničkoj ili političkoj osnovi.

Dodatne informacije o BIRN Kosovu i projektu koji finansira EU „Osnaživanje profesionalnih kapaciteta sadašnjih i budućih novinarki i novinara na Kosovu” možete naći na stranici www.birn.eu.com.

Communications Manager

Rare and sought-after opportunity to join BIRN as our newest Communications Manager, who will lead the organisation’s digital media department in communications, multimedia, digital and public engagement to generate the maximum impact of the organisation’s outputs.

Regional BIRN Hub, based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is looking for a dynamic individual with a strong record in journalism, media and communications, who also has an extensive understanding of the current affairs and media scene in the Central and Southeast Europe. The position holder will work closely with the programme and editorial team to ensure its content reaches target audiences, effectively communicate BIRN’s mission and presents its outputs in a compelling and engaging way.

Location: Central and Southeast Europe

Job Function: Communications Manager

Experience Level: Five years

Working Languages: English

Application Deadline: November 20th, 2020

The selected candidate will be engaged for a probation period of three months.

Major duties and responsibilities:

  • Formulate and lead BIRN’s communication strategy for maximising the impact of the organisation’s work
  • Prioritise among the growing number of platforms strategies for reaching key audiences, keeping in mind the widely varying media consumption habits of different countries and regions, and staying abreast of new media developments and technologies
  • Develop and implement communications strategies & work-plans, campaigns, events and other initiatives
  • Plan and manage visibility and social media promotion for BIRN’s programmes and projects
  • Execute simultaneous projects with tight deadlines and see them through from concept to completion
  • Ensure our brand principles and standards are maintained across all platforms
  • Provides monthly, yearly and ad hoc digital and social media reports for both internal and external use
  • Provide updates and reviews to BIRN Hub management on the status of digital and social media activities and campaigns
  • Conduct regular analyses of digital media engagement and effectiveness of campaigns
  • Participate in the creation of training materials and guidelines, as necessary
  • Defend the organisation against threats to its reputation, proactively identifying threats and reactively managing incoming issues and concerns
  • Developing new ideas and topics, contributing to Balkan Insight editorial output and other BIRN publications.

Required profile:

  • Degree in communications, social science, or related area
  • 5+ years of experience in journalism, media and communications
  • Familiarity with digital content production and ability to meet tight deadlines
  • Excellent communication skills, including social media and multimedia, plus strong interpersonal skills
  • Excellent attention to detail and the ability to rigorously enforce style expectations
  • Demonstrated experience in the development of external communications, content and campaigns designed to inform opinions and influence outcomes
  • Understands analytics and digital readership to help curate BIRN’s social media and other digital presence
  • Strong network of external relationships, especially within the media industry
  • Has a solid understanding of media laws
  • Has a profound understanding of the Central and Southeast Europe
  • Excellent computer skills, and experience of working with multimedia tools
  • Fluent in English

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Please submit a detailed CV, a letter of motivation (no more than 1 page), proof for all stated skills and a list of three professional references by e-mail to Nikola Čače, [email protected], no later than November 20th 2020. Only the shortlisted candidates will be informed on the results of the vacancy and invited to the interview. The selected candidate should start work as soon as possible.

Balkan Insight is published by the Sarajevo-based regional hub of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). Balkan Insight is a network of correspondents based in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

BalkanInsight.com, one of 15 sites in different languages that BIRN runs, is read in more than 200 countries worldwide.

BIRN Hub is a nongovernmental organisation, a part of the Regional BIRN Network, working on in the field of media development, promoting freedom of speech, human rights and democratic values in Southern and Eastern Europe. BIRN has local organisations in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia, while the Network is editorially also present in Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. More information at www.birn.eu.com.

BIRN encourages applicants of both genders, and offers an equal chance to all interested persons, without any prejudice based on any grounds.

‘Lawsuit Filed Against BIRN Serbia’ over Fake Medical Record Story

A law firm from Novi Sad has reportedly filed criminal charges against BIRN Serbia journalists Natalija Jovanovic and Jelena Veljkovic and editor Milorad Ivanovic for allegedly making public confidential business information and recording a conversation with a lawyer from the firm, Nemanja Aleksic, without authorisation.

The reported lawsuit comes in response to an article that BIRN Serbia published about a falsified medical document, based on official documents obtained through procedures set out by the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance.

Aleksic has reportedly pressed charges against BIRN and after initially making accusations and voicing insults during a conversation with a BIRN journalist.

On June 5, BIRN Serbia revealed that in December 2011, doctor Zoran Gojkovic, the Provincial Secretary for Healthcare and an orthopaedic specialist at the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, compiled a medical report on an examination that he did not perform, identifying injuries that were never sustained, from a person who had never been to his office.

According to BIRN’s findings, he also authenticated the report using the official stamp of a fellow orthopaedic specialist, without his knowledge, and forged the colleague’s signature.

Documents obtained by BIRN show that Gojkovic handed over the false medical report to his friend, Novi Sad-based lawyer Nemanja Aleksic, who used it in a civil procedure at the Basic Court in Novi Sad and thus directly influenced the outcome of the legal procedure.

BIRN Serbia has no detailed information about the charge against it, which has reportedly been filed to the Special Prosecution Office for High-Tech Crime.

BIRN Serbia found out about the lawsuit via a report published by news agency Tanjug.

According to Tanjug, lawyer Aleksic stated that BIRN Serbia’s editor and journalists were spreading misinformation and fake news, causing panic among his law office’s employees, associates and clients, and damaging the office’s reputation.

BIRN Serbia regards the lawsuit and the claims in the Tanjug report to be unacceptable pressure on its work and editorial policy.

BIRN Supports Production of TV Reports by Public Broadcasters

Six stories by public broadcasters from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, RTS and BHRT, produced with the support of BIRN Hub during a trip to Denmark that was organised in April, have been aired during April and May.

The topics, some of which stirred up public discussion, included one about reproductive cell banks in Denmark and how women from the Balkans use them (RTS story, BHRT story).

Other stories included one about how Denmark works on further improving its environmental situation and how some of these solutions could be applied in the Balkans (RTS story, BHRT story), and another about the Balkan diaspora in Denmark.

The story looked at why people left the Balkans, and what kind of benefits they obtained and what obstacles they encountered (BHRT story), while another story examined the state of workers’ rights in Denmark (BHRT story).

The stories are part of a project entitled Technical Assistance to Public Service Media in the Western Balkans, supported by the EU, which was implemented in six countries with the participation of seven public broadcasters from the region.

During their five days in Denmark, crews from RTS and BHRT had around 20 meetings with representatives of the Danish government, the Ministry of Environment and Food, the city authorities in Copenhagen, public and private enterprises working in the sphere of environmental protection, experts in the fields covered by the stories, and other journalists.

One journalist from each TV newsroom was deployed and one camera operator from BHRT, who was responsible for filming material for both TV stations.

This was one of the rare examples of the two broadcasters working together in such a way.

Several other TV stories are being prepared by Albanian, Kosovo and Macedonian public broadcasters with BIRN Hub support and should be finished in autumn 2019.

Additional funding for producing the TV stories was provided by BIRN through an EU-funded project entitled Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

BIRN and SHARE Launch Project on Digital Freedom Violations

BIRN Hub in partnership with SHARE Foundation, supported by Civitates, have launched a project called ‘Mapping Digital Freedom Violations’ which will run from June 2019 until November 2020 and monitor digital threats and trends in their occurrence, raise awareness about violations of digital freedom, and issue policy recommendations.

The main goal of the project is to determine who are the main players involved in disinformation and propaganda in the south-east and central Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia) through establishment of the Digital Monitoring database, continuous monitoring of digital threats, and reporting on digital freedom violations.

The project entails training for digital monitors, the design and launch of the Digital Monitoring database using the already existing experience of SHARE Foundation, the publishing of a cross-regional report and five regional investigations, plus stakeholder meetings and a final conference to promote the cross-regional report.

The project will set guidelines for carrying out the monitoring of digital rights and freedoms.

These standardised rules for categorising cases of violations of digital rights and freedoms can be adapted and applied to any country and used to emphasise the importance of the use of technology to highlight social issues, especially in countries and regions without good human rights records.

Previous monitoring has shown that the primary problems are technical attacks on online content, disabling access to content and the endangerment of information security.

BIRN Kosovo Holds a Debate with Law Students at Gjilan Basic Court

On November 24, 2017, BIRN Kosovo held another debate within the “Promoting Transparency in Kosovo’s Judicial System” project, supported by USAID’s Justice System Strengthening Program, JSSP, at the Gjilan Basic Court.

During the discussion, moderated by BIRN Kosovo’s Chief Editor Kreshnik Gashi, the panelists provided lectures to law students on attending court hearings and accessing court record information. The panelists also briefed the students on the rules and regulations regarding photographing, broadcasting, and recording within a court hearing; moreover, they specifically mentioned that such actions may be fully permitted in a manner that ensures that the fairness and dignity of the proceedings are not adversely affected.

Additionally, panelists and students discussed public participation within court proceedings related to divorce, child custody, property disputes, inheritance, labor disputes, and financial disputes. For instance, according to the panelists, if a case involves certain claims of physical or sexual abuse, the judge has the right to decide on making the case private. Additionally, judges have the authority to restrict public participation, if, for instance, confidentiality is deemed significant.

Nevertheless, public participation is allowed during a divorce trial, unless any particular reasons requiring confidentiality are outlined in advance. Last but not least, students learned that courts are also authorized to limit what may be reported in order to protect the welfare of families and children.

BIRN Kosovo, under the “Increasing Transparecy in Kosovo’s Judicial System” Project, supported by USAID’s JSSP, will continue to conduct debates of similar nature in the coming months.

Tourism Potential, Ruined by Waste and Unemployment

Dragash, also known as Sharri, is a municipality associated with natural beauty that could be used for mountainous tourism development. Thus far, the municipality has invested very little in this sector.

This municipality, with a budget worth 6.2 million euros, invests most of its budget on salaries, goods, and services, while only 1.3 million euros are allocated for capital investments.

In 2016, the municipality realized revenues generated worth 131 thousand euros, which is very low compared to other municipalities.

The first thing that catches your eye when you enter the municipality is the waste landfills close to rivers. An investigation by KALLXO.com reveals that there is a severe environmental situation in the mountainous zone in Dragash, considering that both waste and sewage are actually poured into rivers.

Rivers that pass through the villages of Bellobrad, Rapçë, and Bresanë are transformed into waste deposits.

According to the residents of the abovementioned villages, some of the residents throw the waste themselves, and they call on the municipality to engage inspectors to punish irresponsible citizens.

In the village of Brezne, the sewage ends up in the middle of the village, in the private trash collectors built by the families themselves. Sewage is the main problem within the town, considering that during the rainy days, the sewage flows into the middle of the road.

Water

 

Dragash has water supply issues, although the municipality has plenty of water resources across the Sharri Mountains. Most of the villages are equipped with a water supply network, but are supplied with water for only two to three hours during the day. Many villages do not even use the water for drinking due to its dirtiness, and are forced to get water from different resources.

The Auditor has revealed that only 78 per cent of the budget for capital investments is spent, considering that the project of the main Supplier, initially projected to be worth 500,000 euros, was not realized due to the Procurement Review Body’s complaints.

Education

 

The municipality of Dragash is located at the border between the two Opoja and Gora villages. Different languages are spoken in these areas, as Opoja has an Albanian majority and Gora has a Gorani majority.

There are political and infrastructural issues in the education sector.

Based on KALLXO.com’s investigation, there are schools within this municipality that use parallel curriculums.

Serbian parallel structures continue to be present within the Municipality of Dragash, where the lectures are delivered in Serbian, and in accordance with the Serbian government’s curriculum.

Additionally, in several villages, lessons are conducted up to the fifth year, and as such, students from their sixth year up to their ninth year are forced to walk up to six kilometers per day in order to attend classes in the closest school.

These problems were identified by KALLXO.com in the villages of Zaplluxhë, Zym and Brezne, where children walk on roads with no sidewalks; these mountainous zones are even more dangerous due the presence of vehicles and stray dogs.

On the other hand, in Dragash, the students attend classes in the old Ruzhdi Berisha gymnasium, since the new school building is not functional, eight years after construction works began.

Infrastructure and urbanization

 

Road reparation in Dragash remains another issue of the municipality, considering that roads are not repaired in a timely manner.

KALLXO.com has reported on the pine trees planted by the residents in asphalt pits as a creative way to convey messages to the relevant authorities to close the dangerous pits.

Social health

 

The only gynecologist who was working in Dragash has now retired.

Meanwhile, this municipality has a high level of unemployment, and residents of the villages are leaving.

Out of 1,530 inhabitants, only 300 reside currently in the village of Rapçë, which has a Gorani majority. According to the residents, the village’s youth travelled to European Union countries to find jobs due the poverty within their hometown. In this village, there are also residents who live in severe living conditions.

The current mayor of the country is Selim Jonuzaj, from PDK, while mayoral candidates for the October 22 municipal elections are Admir Šola from Jedinstvena Goranska, Fatmir Halili from Nisma, Samidin Dauti from Vetevendosje, Selami Saiti from AAK, Šerif Aga from Koalicija Vakat, Selim Kryeziu from LDK, and Shaban Shabani from PDK.

 

 

 

Apart from not having communication officials, this municipality also has no women directors and no women mayoral candidates.

BIRN Consultancy: Cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

BIRN Consultancy has begun producing a new bi-monthly political, security and socio-economic review of regional developments in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 

As part of its new partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung South East Europe, BIRN Consultancy will be producing the Political Trends and Dynamics Overview which will form a core part of FES SOE’s bi-monthly publication “Political Trends and Dynamics in South East Europe”.

The publication will provide an overview of current political, security, economic and societal developments in the wider region of South-East Europe, with a particular focus on how they could contribute to conflict.

The February/March issue of the publication in its new format can be accessed here: During the first month, the new issue was downloaded more than 3,000 times.

BIRN BiH Joins Visit to NATO Headquarters

Denis Dzidic, editor of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, joined a visit by the International Republican Institute, IRI, to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. 

He took part in a meeting titled: “Understanding and Preventing Violent Extremism and Foreign Influence,” which took place on April 20 and 21. 

At numerous other meetings, participants discussed a number of security topics, among which Communication Challenges in Euro-Atlantic Integration and Public Diplomacy Cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina were the most important for BIRN BiH. 

Dzidic also presented work that BIRN BiH has done on monitoring court proceedings for terrorism in Bosnia in relation to people who have gone to fight for ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Some of the findings related to research that BIRN BiH has done in relation to religious radicalization.