Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
PARTNER
Hromadske TV appeared in the Ukrainian media landscape at the end of 2013 as a response to the longtime public demand for independent public broadcasting.
It has quickly become an important source of information on key social processes in the country. A network of TV and radio broadcasters, the Hromadske Network is now established in cities across Ukraine.
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network published the report “After the ICTY: Accountability, Truth and Justice in former Yugoslavia” which aims to map current challenges in regional cooperation over war crimes prosecutions and missing persons, victims’ participation, and the role of archives, art, media and museums in dealing with the past.
Twenty years after the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and a year after the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia closed down, accountability, truth and justice still seem more like ideals than reality.
During 2018, under the umbrella of BIRN’s Transitional Justice Initiative, a series of events was organised to discuss regional cooperation over war crimes prosecutions and missing persons, victims’ participation, and the role of archives, art, media and museums in dealing with the past.
Participants from civil society, the expert community, institutions, academia and the media tried to answer the overarching questions – how far we are from reconciliation, and what more can we do to combat impunity and increase intercultural dialogue?
PARTNER
The CMDS is a part of Central European University (CEU), and seeks to improve the quality of media policymaking through research and debate.
Research is the organisation’s core activity; the CMDS conducts research about the impact of media and information policy on society and practice. It coordinates course offerings at CEU, provides training and organises exchanges through workshops, lectures and conferences on current developments in the field.
Web: https://cmds.ceu.edu
PARTNER
The Media Association of South East Europe is a regional association of media from south-eastern Europe established to enhance mutual cooperation and support, the joint training of employees and the exchange of content, and to enable a coordinated approach towards state and international bodies and organisations, with the goal of improving the quality of journalism and improving conditions and the position of media in the market.
The founders of the association are: Oslobodjenje (Sarajevo), Adria Media Group (Belgrade), Koha (Pristina), Sloboden pečat (Skopje), Koha (Skopje) and Vijesti (Podgorica).
PARTNER
Established in 2010 in Macedonia as a union which assembles all workers employed in the various fields of media in Macedonia, SSNM is a union which defends workers’ rights and freedom of the press.
It offers legal assistance and establishes regional cooperation with other union associations that participate in locating socio-economic alternatives to the dominant neoliberal narrative.
Web: https://ssnm.org.mk/
PARTNER
Thomson Media gGmbH is an international not-for-profit organisation and is a partner of the Thomson Foundation Group.
Working with governments, philanthropic and institutional donors from its Berlin base, it deals with critical global issues, from regional security to climate change to migration and economic growth.
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, in cooperation with Hromadske, is launching a call for in-depth investigative stories on transitional justice themes in Ukraine.
On fifth anniversary since the start of Ukrainian conflict, we are offering grants to six journalists to cover topics related to conflict, truth, justice, accountability, memory, institutional reform – and other issues related to the transitional justice. The selected journalists will receive mentoring from experienced editors.
We are welcoming proposals that could explore following themes:
The call is a part of BIRN’s Transitional Justice Initiative. The aim of this project is to strengthen in-depth reporting on transitional justice, in order to contribute to a more informed citizenry that is engaged in the democratic process.
Six journalists will be awarded €1,000 grants to cover their expenses while conducting investigations and writing their stories on transitional justice issues.
The journalists will have around three months to dig deeper and research their ideas. They will also have the opportunity to work with experienced editors as mentors, to guide them through the process of writing in accordance with BIRN standards.
After the selection of the six grantees, BIRN and Hromadske will organise a three-day training for them in Kiev at the beginning of March 2019. They will have their first editorial meetings during that training. Additional five journalists from Hromadske will receive support to report on these topics.
The call applies to journalists from Ukraine. All further information regarding application process can be found in our application guidelines. To apply, send the following documents to [email protected] with the subject “BIRN’s Transitional Justice Initiative grant application” by February 10:
Applications received after February 15 [deadline extended] will not be considered.
BIRN Hub
The overall objective of the project is to provide structural support to media freedom and media integrity in the Western Balkans and Turkey.
Summary
The goal of the three-year project led by BIRN Hub and its partners, and supported by the European Union, is to enhance media trust among citizens and create a safe environment for journalists to produce independent news content through training, mentoring, technical and financial support, and publishing.
Donor
European Commission – Directorate-General Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations.
Main Objective
The overall objective of the project is to provide structural support to media freedom and media integrity in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The overall objective is relevant to the global objective of the Call for Proposals which aims to contribute to the promotion of free and professional media in the Western Balkans and Turkey.
It is intended to address the main problems and challenges in the Western Balkans identified in the Feasibility Study for the Establishment of a Regional Program in Media and Journalism Training – poor professional skills among journalists; limited training capacity at a high proficiency level for mid-career journalists; lack of financial resources in most of the media sector, especially for investigations; and limited penetration of the investigative stories that are published.
Specific Objectives
The specific objective of the action is to enhance media trust among citizens and create a safe environment for journalists to produce independent news content through trainings, mentoring, technical and financial support, publishing and recognising best examples of quality journalism.
Main Activities
National Trainings are set to enhance the skills of journalists both basic and advance, as well as to boost partnerships between trained journalists and stakeholders, providers of professional trainings for journalists, organisations supporting media, CSOs, etc.
During the course of 36 months, the 12 national trainings will be organised (2 trainings per country) in collaboration with local partners.
Regional training on investigative journalism for local journalists aim is to enhance the efficiency and skills of journalists, as well as to develop a scalable course curriculum for advanced journalism.
Digital Security Lab is planned to be a resource platform for investigative journalists, aiming to provide them with the tools and services that will help journalists breach the technological gap between their skills and an investigative story.
A study trip for up to 20 editors to one of the major media outlets in Europe with a highly-developed investigative newsroom is also planned.
Production and publishing of quality news and investigative stories in mainstream media and Public Service Media has a strong focus on involving these segments of the media into quality news production and investigative reporting.
Production of cross-border investigations is set to boost cooperation between journalists in the Western Balkans region, and increase their knowledge and skills through joint cooperation on cross-border investigative stories.
Training and curriculum development for investigative journalism in academia will include developing a curriculum on investigative journalism both for journalism students, and for students interested either in investigative journalism, or in the methodology of investigative journalism.
Training of Trainers aims to help providers of professional training for journalists improve their own training capacities, and improve their editorial standards in quality news and investigative journalism.
EU Award Scheme is the continuation of the ongoing regional EU Investigative Journalism Award in the Western Balkans and Turkey. Through the award scheme, 63 prizes will be awarded over the course of 36 months, three in each project country.
Main Implementer
BIRN Hub
Partners
Thomson Media gGmbH (TM), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Central European University (CEU CMDS), the Media Association of South-East Europe (MASEE), the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN CG), the Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers in Macedonia (SSNM), BIRN Albania and BIRN Serbia.
Edi Rama is being urged to withdraw two media bills that rights groups say pose a serious threat to freedom of the media and democracy in the country.
A number of organizations in Albania dedicated to the protection of human rights, media freedom, freedom of information and journalists associations called on Prime Minister Edi Rama on Friday to withdraw two proposed bills that would empower the government to regulate online media outlets, under the threat of penalties and closure.
“We inform the public that the two proposals endanger freedom of expression and could turn Albania in a undemocratic country and at the same time are not helpful in tackling the existing problems of the media, including hate speech, defamation, propaganda or disinformation,” the organizations stated at a press conference.
The two draft laws aim to create a registry of online publications and empower a new “Complaints Council” to sanction online media, based on third-party requests, ordering their closure or blocking access to such media in Albania.
The draft laws provide legal mechanisms for the Audiovisual Media Authority AMA and Tax Authority to fine or even close online media outlets, blogs and other publications on the Internet without clear procedures. Rights groups say this poses a threat to seriously increase the level of censorship and self-censorship already present in Albania’s media.
“If the ruling Socialist parliamentary majority enacts these proposals, our hybrid democracy will inevitably slither toward an authoritarian regime. In democratic countries, the aim of the law is to protect citizens from the government and not to protect government from the citizens,” the organizations noted.
The joint statement was backed by BIRN Albania, the Association of Professional Journalists of Albania, the League of Albanian Journalists, AIS/Open Data Albania, Civil Rights Defenders, the Albania Media Council and the MediaLook Center.
Albania’s media is considered only partly free by Freedom House’s media freedom index. The media climate has also deteriorated over the last decade, experts say.
The television market is concentrated in a few hands and political coverage is largely limited to publishing material pre-packaged by parties’ PR offices that have developed into fully fledged TV studios with their own journalists and camera crews.
As Vladimir Putin visits Belgrade, BIRN journalists have used the occasion to call on the Kremlin leader to release imprisoned journalists in Russia and respect human rights.
BIRN journalists in Serbia on Thursday held up banners asking Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had arrived in Belgrade, to release imprisoned journalists in Russia and to respect human rights.
“Free journalists,” said a banner in Serbian, Russian and English held from the windows of the BIRN office, close to where supporters of Putin in Serbia were gathering for a rally.
The BIRN office also displayed an LGBT flag, calling on Putin to respect human and LGBT rights in his country.
Pro-Russian NGOs with the support of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party on Thursday organized a mass gathering in support of the Russian President who was meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the city.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 58 journalists have been killed in Russia since 1992. The Committee also said it knew of four journalists imprisoned in Russia at this moment.
Rights groups also criticize Russia over its treatment of LGBT people, who face routine pressure, intimidation and violence.
In its latest report, the rights watchdog Human Rights Watch, HRW, noted that a law against so-called gay propaganda was having a negative impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and on the young also.
“The 2013 law exacerbated the hostility LGBT people in Russia have long suffered, and also stifled access to LGBT-inclusive education and support services, with harmful consequences for children,” HRW said in December.
The Russian President is meeting his Serbian counterpart to sign a series of agreements and memorandums, highlighting the warmth between the two Slavic countries.
A message from @birnbalkans to Russian President Putin:#FreeJournalists#OsloboditeNovinare#СВОБОДAЖУРНАЛИСТAM
Our journalists in Serbia today set up banners asking Putin, who was visiting Belgrade, to release imprisoned journalists in Russia and to respect human rights. pic.twitter.com/uKcFCwC6DT
— Balkan Insight (@BalkanInsight) January 17, 2019
Serbia and Russia are close diplomatic allies. Russia has strongly supported Belgrade in rejecting Kosovo’s independence, while Belgrade has refused to criticise or sanction Russia for its actions in Ukraine and the unilateral annexation of Crimea.
Originally published on Balkan Insight.
