BIRN Crew Attacked While Covering Church-Building Initiative in Kosovo

A man was questioned by police after he verbally attacked and insulted a crew from BIRN Kosovo while they were reporting on a controversial initiative to build a Catholic church in the village of Kline e Eperme/Gornja Klina.

Journalist Adelina Ahmeti and camera operator Jetmir Hoxha from BIRN Kosovo’s Kallxo website were attacked on Monday by a resident of Kline e Eperme/Gornja Klina, a village in the Skenderaj/Srbica municipality, where a proposal to build a Catholic church has encountered resistance from some locals.

The police said on Thursday that the “suspect was interviewed and after a case was initiated by a decision from the prosecutor, he was released in the usual way”.

The BIRN crew visited the village to report on the proposal to build the church, initiated by a local man called Ndreke Kelmendi. Kelmendi insists that a church had previously existed at the same location, but his proposal has sparked negative reactions from several villagers who claim that the land is privately owned.

Moments after the BIRN crew went to Kelmendi’s house to interview him about the church issue, his brother Mustafe Hasani confronted them for several minutes, using insulting language and making threats.

“I swear to God that you will be in trouble,” Hasani repeatedly threatened.

The BIRN crew reported the incident to the police.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo, AJK condemned the incident, saying that “any attack against journalists is an attack on free speech and democracy”.

“The AJK is concerned about the threats toward its Kallxo.com colleagues and calls on the police to address the case as a priority,” it said.

“We condemn any form of threats against journalists, camera operators and media workers and call on the relevant institutions to secure justice for all threats and attacks on media,” it added.

BIRN Kosovo Holds Fact-Checking Journalism Course

BIRN Kosovo held a one-day training course on fact-checking journalism for young and mid-career journalists in Pristina on February 26, 2024.

The course addressed the importance of fact-checking in daily reporting, reporting on inter-ethnic issues, propaganda, misinformation and the handling of disinformation and fake news on social media.

A total of 13 journalists, 11 of them women, gathered for the training course which started with a keynote speech from BIRN project manager Arita Suhodolli.

The first part of the training was delivered by Kreshnik Gashi, managing editor at KALLXO.com, who used illustrations to explain how information can be altered while spreading across different media.

Gashi also presented the findings from BIRN’s report ‘The Story of Our Lies’, about the influence of China and Russia on disinformation in Kosovo. He discussed with participants the difference between disinformation, fake news, deep fakes and other forms of fake news production.

Gashi closed his part of the course with some practical work on analysing articles by using fact-checking techniques to improve the participants’ critical thinking and taught them various techniques for verifying news.

Dorentina Kastrati, an editor at BIRN, spoke about local initiatives addressing disinformation and misinformation. She started her lecture by presenting BIRN Kosovo’s initiative to create the Coalition Against Disinformation. She also emphasised the importance of inter-ethnic groups of journalists engaging in fact-checking and ended her lecture with a summary of how to write fact-checking activity proposals.

The training concluded with a lecture on handling disinformation and fake news on social media networks by the another guest speaker, Faik Ispahiu, the executive director of Internews Kosova.

Ispahiu talked about how KALLXO.com’s Krypometer (Truth-o-meter) become the first fact-checking tool in Kosovo to be granted a licence by the International Fact-Checking Network. He also explained the mechanisms Facebook and other social media companies use for fact-checking news.

The training course was supported by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK.

Call for Applications: BIRN Kosovo Training on Fact-Checking Journalism for Young Journalists

In multi-ethnic, post-conflict societies, misinformation has the potential to adversely impact conditions for sustained peace and coexistence among communities and create political strife.

Moreover, in a digital and social media age, and with the steep rise of online news portals in Kosovo, rumors and manipulated fake news can have heightened operational consequences for credible media outlets and journalists in Kosovo.

Media outlets lack the necessary capacities (resources and skillsets) to report on issues and uphold professional fact-checking standards, whereas consumers are not well-equipped to identify spurious news stories and debunk them.

Such false news items are frequently on topics related to members of non-majority communities, which in turn perpetuates discrimination, and reinvigorates fear and insecurity amongst readers. These news items are easily spread across most online media given current social media algorithms reward polarizing and extreme content.

To address these challenges and create more credible and professional future generations of journalists in Kosovo, on February 26, 2024, BIRN will organize a one-day training module with journalists and journalism students on fact-checking standards, methodologies, and tools.

The one-day training module will bring together 20 young and mid-career journalists as well as students of journalism from different communities, who will have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and hands-on skills on how to report on fact-checking methodology and tools.

The training module will be delivered by BIRN’s team of award-winning journalists and editors, who have extensive experience in investigating, reporting on, and advocating for fact-checked journalism.

Who can apply?

Students of journalism, young and mid-career journalists across different regions in Kosovo, who are interested in learning more about reporting based on fact-checking methodologies are eligible to apply for this call.

Applicants from marginalized communities in Kosovo, including members of minority ethnic communities and women, that fulfill the above-mentioned criteria are encouraged to apply for this call.

To apply for the one-day training on fact-checking reporting click here.

Language:

Simultaneous translation in Albanian, Serbian, and English will be provided.

Location:

The training will take place in Prishtina, Kosovo. Details regarding the specific location and agenda will only be provided to selected participants.

Deadline for application: February 5, 2024

Date of the training course: February 26, 2024

*This training activity is supported by the UNMIK.

BIRN Kosovo publishes report on justice system’s handling of terrorism and corruption cases in 2023

BIRN Kosovo published the report titled “The Justice System’s Handling Cases with Terrorism and Corruption Charges in 2023”, which is based on the monitoring of the justice system and presents a detailed analysis of how cases of terrorism and corruption are handled by the justice system in Kosovo during 2023.

BIRN monitored 7 terrorism cases and 16 corruption cases that remain active in 2023, which are handled by the Special Department of Basic Court in Prishtina, and also gathered data from public documents on cases of terrorism and corruption.

This report highlights the lenient sentencing policy and non-involvement of all institutions as the main weaknesses of the system, especially in corruption cases. It also reveals the courts’ serious issues with the delays in handling cases, by showing data from prolonged cases handled by the Special Department of the Basic Court in Prishtina and the Special Department of the Court of Appeals in 2023.

As per the terrorism cases, data from this report shows that the justice system had a quicker approach to dealing with such cases. However, considerable delays are also observed between the time when the crime is alleged to have been committed and the time when the indictment is filed and when the trials are held. As for punishments, this report finds the sentencing policy inadequate. Revealing that in 3 out of 7 monitored cases that have been issued a conviction, sentences appeared in the lowest threshold of the sentence envisaged.

The report also provides recommendations intended to be a useful aid to justice institutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Kosovo’s justice system and contribute to developing the necessary justice reforms.

The main recommendations of this report focus on the improvement of Prosecution from addressing the mistakes made in the application of investigative techniques, to considering the court’s findings when prosecutors failed to establish the intent of the accused in committing criminal offenses and ensuring prosecutors are provided with skills and updated knowledge to investigate violent extremism and terrorism cases.

Other recommendations include the further strengthening of KJK and KPK collaboration with international organizations, civil society, and other relevant institutions, as well as the media, with the common goal of strengthening the efforts against corruption and increasing the public’s trust in the justice system.

Click here for the report on Albanian and English.

This activity is implemented as part of the “Media as a means to improve the transparency of the justice system and the fight against terrorism and extremism” project, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation through the Italian embassy in Prishtina.

BIRN Kosovo publishes report on the procedures of release of individuals convicted of terrorism

On December 28, 2023 BIRN Kosovo has published a report titled “Conditional Release and Supervision of Persons Convicted of Terrorism” based on its direct monitoring of the advantages and disadvantages of the management of the process of the release of individuals convicted of terrorism.

Kosovo ranks among the countries with the highest number of foreign fighters per capita who have joined the terrorist organization ISIS in the war in Syria and Iraq.

Kosovo also is one of the first countries to accept the repatriation of its citizens who had sided with terrorist organizations in conflict zones. In 2015, Kosovo adopted a specific law to prevent its citizens from participating in foreign conflicts. The justice system responded quickly to the issue, swiftly prosecuting, investigating, and adjudicating individuals involved in terrorist acts.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) has analyzed the conditional release process of individuals convicted of criminal acts related to terrorism. BIRN selected a random sample for analysis, comprising of five cases handled between 2015 and 2020 by the Conditional Release Panel.

Based on the methodology, the analysis focused on five cases of individuals conditionally released, convicted of committing criminal acts related to terrorism, including terrorism with religious motives and other forms of terrorism.

In its analysis, BIRN looked into the conditional release procedure of individuals convicted of terrorism from the initial report of the Correctional Service, the Conditional Release Panel’s decision, to the final report of the Probation Service after the supervision period was concluded.

For the compilation of this report, BIRN utilized the archives of the Probation Service of Kosovo and the Conditional Release Panel.

Data analysis on the processes carried out for conditional release encompassed the entire chain of institutions, including the submission of requests for conditional release, to the compilation of the case file by the Correctional Service, processing of the file, decision-making by the Conditional Release Panel, and the supervision process and the drafting of the final report on the supervision process by the Probation Service of Kosovo.

The report also includes individual summary analyses of all analyzed cases, chronologically detailing the key moments in the handling of each case.

At the end of the report, BIRN included recommendations to justice institutions, such as the Ministry of Justice, the Conditional Release Panel, Probation Service, courts, etc.

Click here for the report on Albanian and English.

This activity is implemented as part of the “Media as a means to improve the transparency of the justice system and the fight against terrorism and extremism” project, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation through the Italian embassy in Prishtina.

BIRN Publishes 2023 Report on Handling of Workers’ Rights Cases in Kosovo

On December 14, BIRN held a conference in Kosovo to launch a report, “Victims of Injustice”, which covers the performance of institutions such as the judiciary and the Labour Inspectorate in handling workers’ rights in Kosovo.

The report is drawn from direct monitoring of workplace accidents and an analysis of records archived in both the Labour Inspectorate and the Kosovo courts.

The findings reveal that the authorities and the judiciary have made little progress in addressing issues related to labour rights, especially related to safety at work regulations, while fatal accidents in the country continue to increase.

Between 2021 and 2023, a total of 33 workers died from 763 accidents at work. The statistics for the first half of 2023 alone reveal nine workplace fatalities, indicating an increase in worker fatalities as a result of workplace accidents.

The conference started with speaker notes from Jeta Xharra, Executive Director at BIRN Kosovo, and Johannes Madsen, Head of Cooperation at the EU in Kosovo.

Madsen said that “the protection of labour rights is not an option, it is a commitment to the principles that define a just and humane society”.

The findings of the report were presented by Kreshnik Gashi, Managing Editor at KALLXO.com and Jetlira Buzhala, a monitor and researcher at BIRN. Afterwards, the report was also discussed by a panel, including different actors from public institutions and civil society.

The panel included: Hekuran Nikçi, Chief of the Labor Inspectorate, Eros Gashi, Advisor at Ministry of Justice, Adnan Konushevci, Head of the Civil Department at the Basic Court of Prishtina, Fahret Vellija, Member of the Kosovo Judicial Council and Arif Kadriu, Project Manager at Solidar Suisse.

A total of 51 participants took part in the conference, 19 of whom were women.

The report was published under the “Protection and Promotion of the Labour Rights of Vulnerable Groups in the Labour Market” Project, financed by the European Union Office in Kosovo.

This aims to improve the working conditions for vulnerable categories of workers in Kosovo, especially within the private sector, including health and safety in the workplace for women and men, through the promotion of social dialogue between workers and duty bearers.

The overall report can be found at these links:

Report in English language

Report in Albanian language

Report in Serbian language

 

Media Ownership Monitor Kosovo published by BIRN

Kosovo has not established the necessary mechanisms and legal framework to prevent the concentration of media ownership in the hands of a single business or individual. This finding was determined through research conducted by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN Kosovo).

Since 2015, the Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) has been in development as a publicly accessible database mapping tool, and it is consistently updated to include all media outlets. The database allows for quality contextualization and analysis within the country where it is implemented, providing assessments of the market and the pertinent legal environment.

The research supported by the EU Office in Kosovo indicates that the media market in Kosovo has been diversified for a considerable period, providing numerous opportunities for individuals and companies to wield their economic and political influence in the creation and establishment of various cable and online media outlets. However, the presence of an inadequate legal framework has allowed many media organizations to conceal their revenues from public scrutiny.

Media, often referred to as the fourth pillar of government, holds significant importance in modern democracies. Thus, those who control the media often shape public opinion. Consequently, media ownership must be transparent, accessible, and known to the broader public.

“Political influence on media funding is another challenge that deserves attention. The Media Ownership Monitor underscores a concern regarding the association between individuals who previously held political positions and are currently involved in the media industry. This connection between politics and the media poses a potential risk to the independence and impartiality of the media,” stated Tomas Szunyog, Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, during the launch conference of the Media Ownership Monitor in Pristina, which took place on Wednesday.

The website of the Media Ownership Monitor in Kosovo, launched in Pristina on Wednesday, represents the first comprehensive effort to thoroughly research and monitor media ownership in Kosovo, providing detailed information on media ownership in one database. The research reveals that the majority of media outlets in Kosovo do not disclose their sources of funding. Additionally, changes in ownership have been identified, particularly during the pandemic. Other data highlights the presence of former political officials working in the media sector, and it underscores gender discrimination in media ownership. Out of the 44 media outlets examined, only eight are owned or managed by women.

“This report is being drafted for the first time in Kosovo. This means that the report we are launching today is part of an organization that has been compiling a global database of media ownership for several years. This organization is known as the ‘Global Media Registry’ and is registered in Germany. Its representative is here with us today,” said Jeta Xharra, Executive Director of BIRN Kosova.

Speakers at the conference emphasized the importance of establishing secure information environments for media consumers, ensuring that citizens are well-informed, and promoting transparency in the media industry.

“When we began our work in 2015, media ownership transparency was not as significant of an issue as it is today; it has now become a matter of national security,” said Olaf Steenfadt, Project Director at the Global Media Registry.”

“Transparency is of utmost importance because the audience needs to be aware of the individuals or entities that own the media or the platforms which they consume content and information from. Owners have a significant impact on the transparency and editorial policies of specific media outlets, and I doubt whether the listed owners represent the true or ultimate owners,” stated Ardita Zejnullahu, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Media in Kosovo (AMPEK).

During the panel discussions, the significance of media market diversification was highlighted, but it was also stressed that market expansion does not always guarantee quality and trustworthiness for the audience.”

“The licensing process was initially quite stringent, but now it has become more accessible, allowing almost anyone to obtain a license. I don’t want to come across as unsupportive, given my extensive advocacy for the media sector in Kosovo. However, I do not endorse the idea of granting licenses solely based on meeting technological criteria, especially when this sector lacks appropriate regulation” – said Aferdita Saracini from RTV 21.

The European Union, through its regulations, has shown its commitment to matters of transparency, human rights, media, and digital rights. This commitment was exemplified by its proactive approach in Kosovo, where it provided support for this project, the first of its kind, aimed at mapping media ownership in the country.”

“During the website launch ceremony, the issue of insufficient cooperation with relevant media outlets and ministries regarding the collection and provision of data was emphasized.

Out of the 44 monitored media outlets, only 15 of them were willing to share their media ownership data. Consequently, our researchers had to invest over five months in diligent efforts through official channels, both within and outside the country, to obtain the relevant media ownership data,” highlighted Xheneta Murtezaj, Senior Researcher at BIRN.

Apart from transparency, this platform also aims to educate the public on the digital side, in order to enable citizens fair information and the possibility of choosing the news they receive.

At the launch ceremony, it was emphasized that media ownership and changes in media ownership are not solely a matter of updating information at the Kosovo Business Registry Agency. Instead, a series of steps must be followed.

“Currently, we have observed ownership changes that were not as prevalent in previous years, particularly over the last three years. There have been numerous requests for ownership changes, whether among family members, share allocations to different individuals, or the complete sale of businesses. However, the Independent Media Commission has not been adequately informed about these changes,” stated Jeton Mehmeti, Head of the Independent Media Commission.

Beyond its role in promoting transparency, this platform also seeks to educate the public in the digital realm, empowering citizens to access unbiased information and make informed choices about the news they consume.

This conference was attended by 68 participants, including 32 women.

To visit the Media Ownership Monitor, click here.

Kosovo Remains Vulnerable to Disinformation, BIRN Report Concludes

In the absence of sustainable funding, limited human resources, unclear editorial policies and external influences, in some instances, the media became creators and amplifiers of disinformation, a BIRN Kosova report on disinformation concludes.

The report “Story of our lies” which was published on Monday in Pristina has noted that Kosovo remains vulnerable to different to inside and outside disinformation as institutions and other stakeholders have not been able to establish mechanisms that monitor the dissemination of disinformation, whereas judicial institutions have been unable to handle these types of cases.

“The Disinformation Report has mapped various forms of disinformation in Kosovo, whose main aim is to change the course of Kosovo towards the Euro-Atlantic Integration and to deepen further the existing barriers between communities in Kosovo,” Jeta Xharra, the Executive Director of BIRN Kosova said.

Report shows that social media and internet platforms which specialize in fictitious news remain the key disseminators of disinformation, however, in some cases, even traditional, professional media have been guilty. This report also lists a lack of media literacy programmes and the capacity of the education system to deliver media education as the key challenges for the future.

“At times, unprofessional media outlets can contribute to the disinformation, this is why the citizens should make the distinction between fake and verified news while the Institutions should contribute to this by incorporating media education in school curricula,” Imer Mushkolaj, head of self-regulatory body Kosovo Press Council, said.

The report emphasized the presence of Russian influence and propaganda as evident especially since the war in Ukraine started.

“The risks of disinformation have become even clearer in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, we must work tirelessly to safeguard professional journalism and promote the values of transparency, accountability, and truth,” the Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said in the launching ceremony.

Russian propaganda was notably present in Kosovo and this led to the banning of the media who were influenced by it. It is IMC responsibility to ban media which are a risk to national security,” Head of Board of Independent Media Commission, IMC, Jeton Mehmeti said.

The report focuses also on the narratives and misinformation that undermine security, undermine trust in the West and worsen inter-ethnic relations.

“The most vulnerable community on the sphere of the misinformation  in Kosovo continues to be the Serbian community in Kosovo, this due to the fact that disinformation in Serbian language is being widely spread across the Balkan,” Pajtim Gashi, Program Director at National Democratic Institute, said.

“It is important that Kosovo media editors know how to make the difference between the regime in Belgrade and Kosovo Serbs, since them are fellow citizens of the people living in Kosovo and thus prejudices need to be avoided,” Branislav Krstic, a journalist based in Mitrovica North, said.

“Disinformation regarding the Inter-ethnic relations can lead to inter-ethnic tensions, or in the worst case: inter-ethnic conflict… Propaganda is part of the political fight. Media in Kosovo have learned the lesson on what happened in 2004,” Lulzim Peci, the Executive Director of KIPRED, said.

The report offers recommendations to Kosovo authorities and other stakeholders, including media regulatory and self-regulatory bodies on how to work in order to build the necessary capacities to identify sources of disinformation and adequately address them.

This conference was attended by 90 participants, including 39 women representatives of civil society, institutions, journalists and others.

To download a copy of the report in English, click here.

To download a copy of the report in Albanian, click here.

To download a copy of the report in Serbian, click here.

BIRN publishes Report on Labour Rights in Kosovo’s Private Sector

On November 24, BIRN held a conference for the launch of the report titled “Management of Workers without Procedures”.

Working conditions and violation of labour rights continues to be a challenge for the labour market in Kosovo. The number of accidents in the workplace in Kosovo is high and the level of implementation of labour rights is poor.

From the beginning of 2023, BIRN Kosovo collected data from businesses and workers in Kosovo in order to analyze implementation of the Labour law, including compliance with the requirements on contractual agreements, employment regulations, employment of persons with disabilities and knowledge of safety rules at work, among others.

Findings from the report show that, from 2016 until June 2023, there were 1,072 accidents in the workplace; 102 employees died as a result.

In the first six months of 2023, Kosovo’s Trade Inspectorate inspected over 23, 524 employees. Findings of this inspection showed that about 20 per cent of these employees were working without health certificates and 5 per cent were working without employment contracts.  This report also found that a high percentage of businesses do not fulfill the minimum standards for the legal guarantee and implementation of safety and insurance rights in the workplace.

The findings of the report were discussed by a panel including different actors from public institutions.

The panel was moderated by Kreshnik Gashi, managing editor of KALLXO.com. Panelists included: Avni Zogiani, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers;

Mimoza Kusari Lila, Head of the Vetevendosje Parliamentary Group; Naim Hajra, Deputy Chief Inspector in the Trade Inspectorate; Brahim Selimaj, Chairman of the Association of Builders of Prishtina; and Nalan Malësia, of the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo.

Kreshnik Gashi stated that findings show businesses need to improve regulations and procedures to create a better and safer working environment. Advancing regulations that emphasize security and safety within the structure of businesses will improve the fight against people dying of accidents at workplaces, he said.

The report is published as part of the project “Protection and Promotion of the Labour Rights of Vulnerable Groups in the Labour Market” financed by the European Union in Kosovo. It aims to improve the working conditions for vulnerable categories of workers, especially within the private sector, including health and safety in the workplace for women and men, through the promotion of social dialogue between workers and duty bearers.

The overall report can be found at these links:

English

Albanian

Serbian

BIRN Kosovo Holds Investigative Journalism and Fact-Checking Course

BIRN Kosovo held a three-day training course on investigative journalism and fact-checking with regional and international experts in Skopje, North Macedonia from October 13 to 15.

A total of 18 journalists from around the region, 11 of whom were women, attended the course.

Over three days, the participants became familiar with fact-checking and verification tools and studied in-depth investigations from the region.

The first day’s training was conducted by Stephane M. Grueso, deputy coordinator of Spanish fact-checking media outlet Maldita.es, who talked about the current global problem with disinformation.

Grueso also discussed disinformation in democratic states, the pandemic, infodemia and disinformation on social networks and messaging apps.

During the day’s second session, he talked about the various disinformation narratives that emerged during the COVID pandemic and the Ukraine war, the importance of Osint, and what he called the largest disinformation crisis in modern history.

Grueso also talked about fact-checking organisations, their methodologies and how they work, giving examples from Maldita.es, which part of the International Fact-Checking Network and European Fact-Checking Standards.

The course continued with a session held by Marjana Planojevic, a data protection expert who spoke about data protection and privacy in the media. She discussed data protection principles, rules for media publication of personal data and private information, digital service providers, video surveillance, the right to privacy, and highlighted examples from case studies.

The last session of the day was held by Ivana Nikolic, a programme manager at BIRN, who presented BIRN’s innovative interactive platform BIRD, created for journalists who want to keep up-to-date with the fast-changing world of technology.

The second day continued with Grueso from Maldita, who talked about verification tools and techniques to debunk disinformation, giving practical examples. The examples included tool repositories and how to observe photos and video debunking while using reverse search and metadata. He also spoke about geolicalisation and maps, advanced internet searches and how to archive internet materials.

The next session was conducted by Meri Jordanovska, a journalist and deputy editor-in-chief of Metamorphosis in North Macedonia.

Jordanovska spoke about in-depth investigations conducted in North Macedonia and examples of fact-checking and fighting disinformation from BIRN Macedonia’s ‘Skopje 2014 Uncovered’ database, which investigated the government-sponsored revamp of the capital called ‘Skopje 2014’ and could lead to a criminal investigation.

Jordanovska also held a session on the most common types of disinformation in the Balkans, such as fake commercials, conspiracy theories and the selling of various kinds of medicine while using disinformation.

The last day of the training course was conducted by Kreshnik Gashi, the managing editor of BIRN Kosovo’s KALLXO.com. Gashi spoke about the misinformation and propaganda spread by Russia, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Balkans, citing findings from investigations in Kosovo.

He also talked about the use of whistleblowers while reporting on organised crime in the Balkans, how to protect whistleblowers, and how organised crime functions in the Balkans.

Gashi and the participant journalists from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia practiced the verification of news reports and shared ideas for future stories using fact-checking and investigative journalism techniques, which could become part of a fellowship programme that BIRN Kosovo will run.

This training course was held as part of the EU-funded project ‘Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey II’.