Lead Applicant’s Name:
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – BIRN Kosovo
Co-applicants:
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Internews Kosova
Donor:
British Embassy in Pristina – Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office
Short Summary:
The project “Media Integrity and Disinformation Watch”, implemented by BIRN Kosovo in partnership with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo and Internews Kosova seeks to combat disinformation in Kosovo by enhancing media transparency, promoting investigative journalism, raising institutional awareness, and advocating for policy reforms to strengthen resilience against foreign influence and improve oversight of media financing.
Project goal:
The overall goal of the MIDWatch project is to strengthen efforts against disinformation and promote media integrity in Kosovo.
Target Group(s):
- Independent journalists and media outlets.
- Targeted law enforcement and regulatory institutions.
- General public, including minority and vulnerable communities.
- Women journalists and underrepresented groups.
Expected Results:
- Contribute to increased transparency in media ownership and financing through journalistic reporting.
- Strengthened investigative journalism and fact-checking debunking and pre-bunking disinformation.
- Improve institutional ability to track and respond to disinformation.
- Inform public discourse and policy reform recommendations.
Main Activities:
- Media monitoring of TV, online media and social media platforms to track how foreign disinformation spreads and targets Kosovo’s institutions.
- Production and publication of 25 fact-checking articles.
- Production and publication of five thematic analyses related to foreign interference and disinformation.
- Production and broadcast of five investigative documentaries that expose the impact of foreign disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech targeting Kosovo’s democracy and social cohesion.
- Organization of four televised debates and one national conference, to publish main findings of the media monitoring report and discuss current challenges in the media environment as well as solutions and best practices.
- Awarding grants to 15 journalists and media professionals, including 5 grants for women journalists and 5 grants for journalists from non-majority communities, that will investigate stories directly addressing disinformation.
- In cooperation with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, awarding three Journalism Awards for best stories addressing disinformation and fact-checking.
- Conducting 4 institutional awareness programs, to strengthen institutional response towards disinformation that affects credibility of institutions
- Drafting a policy brief for legal reform to enhance transparency, oversight, and protection against disinformation.