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BIRN Kosovo
Pristina, August 28-29, 2005
31 08 2005 Eight local journalists attended an intensive investigative journalism workshop organised by IWPR in Pristina on August 28 and 29.
Eight local journalists attended an intensive investigative journalism
workshop organised by IWPR in Pristina on August 28 and 29.
Among those keen to learn investigative techniques were journalists from
the daily newspapers Koha Ditore and Epoka e Re, the news agency Kosova
Live and the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development, as
well as IWPR trainees.
During the two days, the delegates were introduced to the basic principles
of an investigation, such as information gathering, finding good sources,
and preparing and conducting interviews.
Gordana Igric, IWPR’s Balkans project manager and an experienced
investigative journalist, talked about many of the obstacles that a reporter
might experience while researching and writing an investigative report.
She also spoke about protecting sources that may come under threat during
an investigation; and coming up with sufficient hard evidence, such as
official documents.
Marcus Tanner, IWPR Balkans editor/trainer, made a short presentation
on the structure of the investigation as well as the importance of choosing
the best angle.
A documentary produced by Igric together with a CBS team on tracking
war criminals in Foca - the wartime Serb stronghold in Bosnia - was shown
to the group.
The students also had a workshop on British libel law, which each IWPR
publication must take care not to break, as it is UK-based. Then the protectorate’s
temporary media commissioner Robert Gillette gave a short short on Kosovar
law.
During his presentation, Gillete gave tips to the young journalists on
what to avoid when putting together an investigation so no to have legal
problems.
Experienced war crimes investigator Stacy Sullivan, former IWPR Hague
project manager, was also a guest to the workshop. Her presentation concentrated
on human rights reporting, drawing on her wartime experiences in Bosnia
and Kosovo.
As an example of how to investigate institutions, the BBC documentary
"The Secret Policeman", in which Mark Daly goes undercover as
a recruit in a police training college to expose racism withing the force,
was shown.
IWPR’s Kosovo project manager Jeta Xharra was involved in choosing
three subjects which teams of journalists could then investigate for the
Kosovo project.
Workshop participants were:
Era Gjurgjeala: researcher at the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research
and Development.
Fatmire Terdevci: Koha Ditore investigative journalist.
Sebahate Shala: journalist at the Kosovan daily Epoka e Re.
Artan Mustafa: journalist with the Kosovan news agency KosovaLive.
Josh Wright: press officer for the Council of Europe Election Observation
Mission in Kosovo, CEEOM IV.
Arben Salihu: IWPR trainee.
Muhamet Hajrullahu: IWPR trainee.
Zana Limani:IWPR trainee.
At the beginning of 2010 BIRN network published Digging Deeper - A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans, written in cooperation with Sheila Coronel, Director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and professor of professional practice at Columbia University, New York.
