Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
During her journalism studies, Natatalija joined BIRN in 2015 as an intern working on media privatisation and public tenders for media. She graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade in 2016.
She is currently doing a master’s in Social Science and Computing at the University of Belgrade.
Providing accurate and unbiased information is essential when reporting about terrorism and violent extremism, heard a conference organised by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Mount Jahorina from August 31 to September 2, at which BIRN’s regional director was a speaker.
The conference brought together over hundred journalists and media professionals to discuss professional standards related to reporting on terrorism and violent extremism.
As Bruce G. Berton the head of the OSCE mission in the country noted, while news about these topics draws a lot of attention and outlets are expected to publish or air it as quickly as possible, it is up to media to avoid sensationalism in the process.
The age of social media had put even greater importance on reporting professionally and responsibly on violent extremism and terrorism.
Unnamed and non-credible sources are one of the dangers for spreading propaganda.
Adhering to ethical standards such as truthfulness, independence, objectivity, empathy and responsibility are key principles in reliable reporting about terrorism and terrorist attacks, said Aidan White, president of the Ethical Journalism Network.
Marija Ristic, BIRN’s Regional Director, who spoke about reporting on violent extremism in Serbia, stressed that media often respond to the dominant narrative in society.
Reporting on the topic in Serbia is overly tabloid with sensationalistic content, almost no sources, and often alarmist in tone, emphasising Islamic radicalization, Ristic said.
But Serbian media takes a completely different tone when reporting on Serb fighters serving with pro-Russian forces in Ukraine, when its dominant narrative is one of “support for our Russian brothers” and a “justified struggle”, she added.
BIRN journalists from Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and BIRN Hub attended a training course on mobile video production from August 19 to 21 in Skopje.
The three-day training course was conducted by a Voice of America (VOA) Broadcasting Board of Governors trainer.
A group of around ten journalists and editors from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia were introduced to new mobile apps for filming and editing video content on mobile platforms.
They were also taught new approaches and developed skills in video reporting using new technologies that will be in use in everyday reporting and delivering content, especially for social media.
The training was intended to improve focused video content relevant to web and social media audiences and enhance journalists’ ability to tell stories that engage users through text, pictures, videos and livestreaming.
The training continued the cooperation between BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina and VOA, which started at the beginning of 2017.
DONOR
The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) is the section of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs dedicated to providing aid and financing pro-development activities in developing countries worldwide.
DONOR
Swiss international cooperation, which is an integral part of the Federal Council’s foreign policy, aims to contribute to a world without poverty and in peace, for sustainable development.
DONOR
The Kosovo Foundation for Open Society is a local non-governmental organisation and part of the international network of philanthropic foundations financed by George Soros.
The Foundation works with government and civil society to strengthen capacities, improve implementation of existing policies and develop new strategic directions.
It does so both through developing and implementing its own projects, and by supporting Kosovo’s organisations that require both financial and operational assistance.
Web: https://kfos.org/
DONOR
NED is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world.
Web: https://www.ned.org/
DONOR
The Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia is the ministry in the Government of Serbia which is in the charge of culture and information.
The Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia is in charge of:
PARTNER
Newspaper Danas is a privately owned media outlet with pro-democratic editorial orientation and high appreciation for professional journalistic standards.
Danas has a long list of international awards, including International Press Institute Media Freedom Award (2002) and the most recently an award of the Austrian Foreign Ministry for Inter-culturalism and tolerance (2015), and is often regarded as the only independent national daily.
Web: danas.rs
BIRN Serbia
Promotion of judicial transparency and accountability through investigative reporting.
BIRN will provide comprehensive public insight into the capacities of the judicial system to fight against the corruption through the newly-established mechanism of special courts and prosecution offices in charge of the abuse of funds, money-laundering and tax evasion.
BIRN plans to increase its content production and publishing on BIRN Serbia’s flagship website javno.rs, providing citizens with accurate and unbiased information about cases of corruption, access to justice and abuse of public funds or posts.
BIRN will produce at least four journalistic stories in different formats – investigative, data-journalism and/or analytical content, published on the javno.rs platform, with follow-ups on the reported cases. Additionally, two online databases will be created, establishing an evidence base for tracing the work of the special anti-corruption departments and their effectiveness in processing the cases of high corruption..
Main Activities:
Target Groups:
Web: 
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