Author: birnEU

BIRN Kosovo is Launching a Free Serbian Language Course for Albanian journalists

It is our pleasure to announce a new Albanian–Serbian language course, as part of the EU-funded project Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists.

Through this activity, BIRN aims to increase the capacities of professional journalists and promote cultural diversity by engaging 20 Albanian journalists or students of journalism in Serbian language courses over a period of six months. This will not only help more media professionals become ready to report on topics in the north of Kosovo as well as other Serb-majority areas, but will also help journalists of different ethnicities to learn each other’s languages, improving the cultural exchange between the two groups and leading to improved cooperation in reporting.

This activity will be implemented in cooperation with our project partner TV Mreza, who will also provide 20 Serbian journalists with opportunities to learn Albanian, so they will have access to resources in the Albanian language.

A significant objective of this project is to promote human rights and inter-ethnic investigative teams, while the project partners are seeking to promote inter-ethnic cooperation and cultural diversity through this activity.

Eligibility requirements:

  • You must be a journalist or a student in the last year of studies in the field of journalism. Students will be eligible as long as there are vacant places on the course
  • You must be able to attend all of the sessions, which will take place twice a week. The schedule of classes and testing will be decided between the students and the lecturer. 

Note: Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the courses will be held online.

Deadline for application: March 12, 2021

To apply, please fill in the survey by following this link:  

BIRN encourages applicants of all genders, and offers equal opportunities to all interested persons, free of prejudice on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity or political background.

Please find additional information on BIRN Kosovo and the EU-funded project Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists at www.birn.eu.com.

BIRN Kosova lanson kurs falas të gjuhës serbe për gazetarët shqiptarë

Kemi kënaqësinë të shpallim një kurs të ri për shqip – serbisht, si pjesë e projektit të financuar nga BE “Forcimi i qëndrueshmërisë së gazetarëve të tanishëm dhe të ardhshëm të Kosovës”.

Përmes këtij aktiviteti BIRN synon t’i rrisë kapacitetet e gazetarëve profesionistë dhe të promovojë diversitetin kulturor, duke angazhuar njëzet (20) gazetarë shqiptarë ose studentë shqiptarë të gazetarisë në kurset e gjuhës serbe për një periudhë prej gjashtë muajsh. Kjo jo vetëm që do të ndihmojë profesionistët e medias që të jenë më të gatshëm të raportojnë për tema në veri të Kosovës dhe zonat e tjera me shumicë serbe, por gjithashtu do të bëjë të mundur që gazetarë të etnive të ndryshme të mësojnë gjuhën e njëri-tjetrit, duke përmirësuar shkëmbimin kulturor midis dy grupeve dhe duke i hapur rrugë bashkëpunimit më të mirë në raportim.

Ky aktivitet do të zbatohet në bashkëpunim me partnerin tonë të projektit TV Mreza, i cili gjithashtu do t’u sigurojë njëzet (20) gazetarëve serbë mundësinë për të mësuar shqip, ashtu që të kenë qasje në burimet në gjuhën shqipe.

Një objektiv i rëndësishëm i këtij veprimi është promovimi i të drejtave të njeriut dhe ekipeve ndëretnike hulumtuese, dhe partnerët e projektit do të synojnë të promovojnë bashkëpunimin ndëretnik dhe diversitetin kulturor përmes këtij aktiviteti.

Kriteret e kërkuara:

  • Duhet të jeni gazetar ose student në vitin e fundit të studimeve në fushën e gazetarisë. Studentët do të pranohen vetëm nëse ka vende të lira në kurs
  • Duhet të jeni në gjendje të merrni pjesë në të gjitha orët të cilat do të mbahen dy herë në javë. Orari i orëve dhe testimit do të përcaktohet në dakordim me studentët dhe mësimdhënësin.

Shënim: Për shkak të situatës aktuale me COVID-19, kurset do të mbahen në internet.

Afati për aplikim: 12 mars 2021

Për të aplikuar, ju lutemi plotësoni anketën vijuese:

BIRN inkurajon aplikantët e të gjitha gjinive dhe ofron mundësi të barabarta për të gjithë personat e interesuar, pa paragjykime në baza të gjinisë, fesë, përkatësisë etnike ose prejardhjes politike.

Për më shumë informata mbi BIRN Kosova dhe projektin e financuar nga BE “Forcimi i qëndrueshmërisë së gazetarëve të tanishëm dhe të ardhshëm të Kosovës” vizitoni www.birn.eu.com

BIRN Kosovo započinje besplatan kurs srpskog jezika za albanske novinare

Sa zadovoljstvom vas obaveštavamo o novom kursu albanskog i srpskog jezika, kao deo projekta koji finansira EU pod nazivom „Osnaživanje profesionalnih kapaciteta sadašnjih i budućih novinarki i novinara na Kosovu.”

BIRN ovom aktivnošću namerava da podigne kapacitete profesionalnih novinarki i novinara i da promoviše kulturnu raznolikost, angažovanjem dvadeset (20) albanskih novinara ili studenata žurnalizma, koji će pohađati kurs srpskog jezika, u trajanju od šest meseci. Ovaj kurs ne samo da će pomoći medijskim radnicima da budu spremniji da izveštavaju o temama u vezi sa severnim delom Kosova i drugim područjima sa većinski srpskim stanovništvom, već će omogućiti novinarima iz različitih etničkih zajednica da nauče jezike jedni drugih, da poboljšaju kulturnu razmenu između dve grupe i prokrče put za bolju saradnju u izveštavanju.

Ova aktivnost biće realizovana u saradnji sa našim projektnim partnerom, TV Mrežom, koja će angažovati dvadeset (20) srpskih novinara i pružiti im mogućnost da uče albanski jezik, kako bi im time omogućila da imaju pristup izvorima informacija na albanskom jeziku.

Značajan cilj ove aktivnosti podrazumeva unapređivanje ljudskih prava i međuetničkih istraživačkih timova, dok će partneri na ovom projektu, tokom istog, težiti daljem unapređivanju međuetničke saradnje i kulturne različitosti.

 Kriterijumi za prijavljivanje:

  • Morate biti novinar ili apsolvent na studijama žurnalistike. Studenti se mogu prijaviti sve dok bude bilo upražnjenih mesta za pohađanje kursa.
  • Morate biti u mogućnosti da pohađate sve časove, koji će se održavati dva puta nedeljno. Raspored časova i testiranje biće dogovoreni između polaznika i predavača.

Napomena: Usled aktuelne situacije sa KOVIDOM-19, kurs se održava onlajn.

Rok za prijavljivanje: 12. mart 2021.

Za prijavljivanje, molimo vas popunite anketu na sledećem linku:

BIRN podstiče prijavljivanje kandidata svih polova i pruža jednaku mogućnost zapošljavanja svima zainteresovanima, bez ikakvih predrasuda po rodnoj, verskoj, etničkoj ili političkoj osnovi.

Dodatne informacije o BIRN Kosovu i projektu „Osnaživanje profesionalnih kapaciteta sadašnjih i budućih novinarki i novinara na Kosovu “, možete naći na stranici www.birn.eu.com.

Open Calls for EU Investigative Journalism Award for 2021

Applications are now open for submission of investigative articles.

Investigative stories published from January 1 to December 31, 2020, and related to freedom of expression, rule of law, transparency, abuse of power and fundamental rights, corruption and organised crime are welcome to apply.

The award fund in each country in 2021 (for achievements in 2020) is 10,000 EUR. The first prize will be 5,000 EUR, the second 3,000 EUR, and the third will be 2,000 EUR.

Individuals or groups of journalists are eligible to apply in all journalism forms (print, online, radio and TV) published or broadcast in the media in each country in official, minority or international languages.

Articles eligible for submission must appear in print, online, radio and TV media outlets during the 2020 calendar year.

EU Investigative Journalism Awards in the Western Balkans and Turkey aim to celebrate and promote the outstanding achievements of investigative journalists as well as improve the visibility of quality journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

The awards are a continuation of the ongoing regional EU Investigative Journalism Award in the Western Balkans and Turkey and part of the ongoing project ‘Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey’, funded by the European Union.

The project partners involved all have extensive expertise in the field of media freedom and have been recognised locally and internationally as strong independent media organisations.

The jury for the EU Award comprises media experts, some of them from the project consortia. Others are drawn from the extensive network projects that the consortium members have, such as editors, members of academia and journalists with merits.

Please download individual packages below to find more information about the EU Award for Investigative Journalism in your respective country.

Download all necessary documents for North Macedonia (in Albanian and Macedonian)
Download all necessary documents for Montenegro
Download all necessary documents for Serbia
Download all necessary documents for Turkey
Download all necessary documents for Kosovo (in Albanian and Serbian)
Download all necessary documents for Bosnia and Herzegovina

BIRN to Conclude Debates on Online Media Regulation

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network will host a group of journalists and editors from across the Balkan region in a live online debate on February 24 to discuss the issues of online media regulation while preserving freedom of speech and avoiding censorship.

The questions of self-regulation and regulation of online media are practical for every newsroom, however rarely they have time to constructively discuss these issues and approach potential solutions.

Media in the region face increasing pressures; not only do they no longer control the news cycle, but they are also often failing to deliver quality journalism under the pressure of speed, clicks and disinformation.

How do we arrive at the best solutions for regulation? How can the process ensure solidarity and include all professional media? What are the perils of self-regulation? Is there an option for government regulation that will not turn into censorship? These are some of the questions we aim to tackle during the debate.

The debate, “Online Media Regulation: Newsroom Perspective”, will feature journalists, editors and other media professionals who face different aspects of this problem daily. The debate moderated by Ana Petruseva, country director of BIRN North Macedonia, will be the final discussion in a series of conversations we held in recent months with representatives of regulatory and self-regulatory bodies, legal experts and academics.

Panellists taking part in the discussion include:

  • Alen Altoka, head of digital media at Oslobodjenje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Flutura Kusari, legal advisor at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, Kosovo
  • Geri Emiri, editor at Amfora, Albania
  • Goran Mihajlovski, editor-in-chief at Sakam da kazam, North Macedonia
  • Jelena Vasic, project manager at KRIK, Serbia
  • Srdan Kosovic, editor-in-chief at Vijesti, Montenegro

To join our third debate in a series of discussions on online media regulation with different stakeholders – organised as a part of the regional “Media for All” project – connect with us on ZOOM on Wednesday, February 24, at noon CET.

Save the date and register HERE.

Please read the privacy notice before registering.

Serbian Language Teacher

Under the project “Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists”, funded by the European Union, BIRN aims to increase the capacities of professional journalists and promote cultural diversity by engaging 20 Albanian journalists in Serbian language courses, to be ready to report on topics on the northern part of Kosovo and Serb-majority areas.

BIRN is looking to hire:

Position: Serbian Language Teacher
Period of Employment: 6 months, 4 hours per week;
Contract: Services

This activity will be implemented in cooperation with our project partner TV Mreza, which will engage 20 Serbian journalists in learning Albanian in order for them to have access to Albanian resources.

Requirements for the position:

– Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in a language or other social science;

– Excellent knowledge of Serbian and Albanian languages;

– Previous experience in teaching the Serbian language;

– Excellent communication skills;

– Willingness to work flexible hours;

Duties and Responsibilities:

– To plan the teaching program and relevant literature;

– To organise and evaluate the level of knowledge based on test results;

– To ensure the progress of all participants;

– To maintain correspondence and draft reports related to teaching;

– To cooperate well with the team and the person in charge.

Note: Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the courses will be held online.

To apply, send a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter in Albanian and Serbian by email to [email protected], describing the position for which you are applying, no later than February 28, 2021.

BIRN encourages applicants of all genders, and offers equal employment opportunities to all interested persons, without prejudice on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity or political background.

Please find additional information on BIRN Kosovo and the EU funded project “Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists” at www.birn.eu.com.

BIRN është në kërkim të plotësimit të pozitës së lirë:

Pozita: Mësimdhënës/e për gjuhë serbe
Periudha e punësimit: 6 muaj
Kontrata: Shërbime 

Në kuadër të projektit “Forcimi i Qëndrueshmërisë së Gazetarëve të Tanishëm dhe të Ardhshëm të Kosovës“, i cili financohet nga Bashkimi Europian, BIRN synon të ngritë kapacitetet e gazetarëve profesional dhe të promovojë diversitetin kulturor duke angazhuar 20 gazetarë shqiptarë në kurse të gjuhës serbe në mënyrë që të jenë të gatshëm për të raportuar në tema për pjesën veriore të Kosovës dhe zonat me shumicë serbe.

Ky aktivitet do të realizohet në bashkëpunim me partnerin tonë të projektit, TV Mreza, organizatë kjo e cila do angazhojë 20 gazetarë serbë që të mësojnë gjuhën shqipe në mënyrë qe të kenë qasje edhe në burimet shqipe.

 Kriteret për të përmbushur pozitën:

– Diplomë universitare në nivel Bachelor në gjuhë apo shkenca të tjera sociale;

– Njohja e shkëlqyer e gjuhës serbe dhe shqipe;

– Përvojë të mëhershme në mësimdhënie të gjuhës serbe;

– Aftësi të shkëlqyeshme komunikimi;

– Gatishmëri për të punuar me orar fleksibil;

Detyrat dhe përgjegjësitë:

– Planifikon programin për mësimdhënie me literaturë të zgjedhur;

– Organizon dhe vlerëson nivelin e njohurive në bazë të rezultateve të testeve;

– Kujdeset për të arritur zhvillim te secili pjesëmarrës;

– Mban korrespodencë dhe përgatit raporte në lidhje me mësimdhënien;

– Bashkëpunon mirë me ekipin dhe personin përgjegjës.

Shënim: Për shkak të situatës aktuale me COVID-19, kurset do të mbahen online.

Për të aplikuar duhet të dërgoni një Curriculum Vitae (CV) dhe një letër motivimi në gjuhën shqipe dhe serbe përmes postës elektronike në adresën [email protected], duke përshkruar pozitën për të cilën aplikoni, më së largu deri më 28 shkurt 2021.

BIRN inkurajon aplikuesit nga të gjitha gjinitë, si dhe ofron mundësi të barabartë punësimi për të gjithë personat e interesuar, pa kurrfarë paragjykimi mbi baza gjinore, fetare, etnike ose politike.

Informata shtesë për BIRN Kosova dhe projektin e financuar nga BE “Forcimi i qëndrueshmërisë së gazetarëve të tanishëm dhe të ardhshëm të Kosovës” mund të gjeni në www.birn.eu.com.

BIRN je u potrazi za kandidatima koji bi popunili slobodno radno mesto:

Radno mesto: Nastavnik/Nastavnica srpskog jezika
Period zapošljavanja: 6 meseci, 4 sata nedeljno
Ugovor: Usluge

Kao deo projekta „Osnaživanje profesionalnih kapaciteta sadašnjih i budućih novinarki i novinara na Kosovu„ koji finansira Evropska unija, BIRN ima za  cilj da podigne kapacitete profesionalnih novinara i da promoviše kulturnu različitost, angažovanjem 20 albanskih novinara koji će pohađati kurs srpskog jezika, kako bi bili spremni da izveštavaju o temama u vezi sa severnim delom Kosova i područjima sa većinskim srpskim stanovništvom.

Ova aktivnost biće realizovana u saradnji sa našim projektnim partnerom, TV Mrežom, koja će angažovati 20 srpskih novinara za učenje albanskog jezika, kako bi imali pristup izvorima informacija na albanskom jeziku.

Kriterijumi koje kandidat za ovo radno mesto mora ispunjavati:

– Završene osnovne studije jezika ili bilo kojih drugih društvenih nauka;

– Odlično poznavanje srpskog i albanskog jezika;

– Prethodno iskustvo u držanju časova srpskog jezika;

– Odlične veštine komunikacije;

– Spremnost za rad na fleksibilno radno vreme;

Dužnosti i odgovornosti:

– Planira nastavni program koristeći izabranu literaturu;

– Organizuje i ocenjuje nivo stečenih znanja, na osnovu rezultata testiranja;

– Stara se da svaki učesnik ostvari napredak;

– Vodi korespondenciju i priprema izveštaje u vezi sa nastavnim procesom;

– Ostvaruje dobru saradnju sa timom i odgovornim licem.

Napomena: Usled aktuelne situacije sa pandemijom KOVIDA-19, kursevi će biti održani onlajn.

Za prijavljivanje, pošaljite biografiju (CV) i propratno pismo, na albanskom i srpskom jeziku, elektronskom poštom na adresu [email protected], uz naznaku radnog mesta za koje se prijavljujete, najkasnije do 28. februara 2021. godine.

BIRN podstiče prijavljivanje kandidata svih polova i pruža jednaku mogućnost zapošljavanja svima zainteresovanima, bez predrasuda po rodnoj, verskoj, etničkoj ili političkoj osnovi.

Dodatne informacije o BIRN Kosovu i projektu koji finansira EU „Osnaživanje profesionalnih kapaciteta sadašnjih i budućih novinarki i novinara na Kosovu” možete naći na stranici www.birn.eu.com.

Digital Rights Action: Enabling Free Flow of Information and Media Integrity

BIRN Serbia
The main goal of the project is to contribute to creating an enabling online environment for the free flow of information, in line with the standards of digital rights and media freedoms.

Summary

Donors: Balkans Trust for Democracy, MATRA Programme.

Information Sheet

Main Objective

The project’s overall goal is to contribute to creating an enabling online environment for the free flow of information, in line with the standards of digital rights and media freedoms.

Specific Objectives

  1. Public knowledge and understanding of the nature and impact of breaches of digital rights and freedoms are improved.
  2. Media policy framework advanced with new legislative solutions, responding to risks for media freedom and rights in the digital environment.
  3. Media improve standards of security, integrity and privacy protection in the digital environment.

Main Activities

  1. Providing the public with new information to instigate follow-up actions (including reactions, republications, and quotations) by relevant institutions, CSOs, other media outlets, and the public at large. Activities within this cluster include journalistic research, production, and publishing of in-depth articles, accompanied by data and document sets and multimedia material (visuals, video, audio). Based on the gathered material and findings ongoing public informing campaign will be implemented, including production, publishing, boosting and moderating a debate on social media channels
  2. Advocating and sustaining policy changes in domestic media regulatory framework includes the following activities: monitoring, consultations with beneficiaries and stakeholders, productions of policy solutions and amendments, participation in working groups, and other fora where media or related policies are discussed to advocate for its implementation.
  3. Raising capacities of media to implement standards of safety and integrity in the digital environment and their awareness of the potential risks – includes direct support to media outlets and journalists through service centre which will provide on-demand support in order to increase standards of privacy protection and the resilience of media and journalists in cases of digital rights violations and online attacks. In addition, a set of tools and internal procedures will be produced and promoted within the media community.

Target Groups

  1. Media community – Journalists, media outlets and media organisations.
  2. Independent institutions – Commissioner for Information of public importance, Ombudsman, Commissioner for Equality, RATEL/ National CERT.
  3. Civil sector – CSO dealing with human rights and data protection.
  4. Institutions – Ministry of Culture and Information and other relevant ministries and institutions in charge of various aspects of digital infrastructure and services (such as Ministry of Telecommunications, IKT office etc.)
  5. Public at large, especially computer literate.

Lead implementer

BIRN Serbia

Partner / Associate implementer:

SHARE Foundation

Open Call for Digital Rights Programme for Journalists

Journalists from Central and Southeastern Europe are invited to apply for BIRN’s Digital Rights Programme for Journalists that aims to explore the effects of digitalisation processes and to go deeper into the challenges facing digital rights.

Through BIRN’s new “Digital Rights Programme for Journalists“ we are looking for journalists interested in fast-evolving digitalisation processes and their impact on democracy, society and lives in Central and Southeastern Europe, particularly the following:

  • The use of the algorithms
  • The forces fuelling hate speech and discrimination in the digital environment and
  • their implications
  • Digital security and phishing campaigns
  • Privacy and personal data breaches and (non)existing protection mechanisms
  • Surveillance policy and use of technology by authoritarian regimes
  • Accountability of the major Internet platforms and online safety of users
  • Information security breaches
  • Arrests for social media posts and pressure applied over online expression and
  • activities
  • Blocking and filtering of content
  • Holding intermediaries liable
  • Manipulation and propaganda in the digital environment
  • Machine learning algorithms and algorithmic decision-making processes
  • 5G technology in the region
  • Cryptocurrencies/blockchains in the world of financial crime
  • Social media bots and troll farms

We are offering a comprehensive, 10-month programme that includes: regular networking opportunities and meetings with actors and experts dealing with digital rights and emerging tech challenges, financial support, on-the-job mentoring and editorial sessions to produce high-quality journalism and educational sessions focused on digital security for media. The programme aims to cover under-reported topics related to the health of the digital ecosystem and digital rights violations in Central and Southeastern Europe.

If you already have a story on your mind but you lack resources and guidance, this is the programme for you.

Each journalist will receive a bursary of 2,000 euros to support their reporting.

In order to apply for the programme, use the application form attached below to send us a proposal for a regional investigative story.

As part of our Reporting Democracy platform, BIRN’s “Digital Rights Programme for Journalists” will enable media workers to cover under-reported topics relating to growing digital rights challenges in the region.  The stories produced will be published on BIRN’s flagship website Balkan Insight, and by prominent European, regional and international media outlets. The programme is supported by European Artificial Intelligence Fund and ERSTE Foundation.

The call is open until February 21, 2021.

Who can apply?

The programme is open to all journalists who believe they have a good story on an under-reported topic concerning the health of the digital ecosystem in Central and Southeastern Europe. We also welcome applications from staff reporters from local and national media who wish to co-publish the story with us.

BIRN is committed to gender diversity and freedom from prejudice on any grounds.

Story requirements

  • The story must deal with at least one of the topics listed above
  • The story must be relevant to Central and Southeastern Europe and must cover at least two countries in the region
  • We are looking for in-depth, investigative stories
  • The story should be around 2,000 words long
  • Each selected story must be published within eight months of receipt of the first installment of the bursary.

How to apply?

Download the Story Grant Form

Download the Declaration

Send us your story proposal using the story grant form, downloadable here.

Please send the completed form together with a signed declaration and your CV to [email protected] no later than February 21, 2021.

BIRN Launches Online Community to Connect Journalists

BIRD Community is BIRN’s new, secure online platform for our alumni and for journalists reporting on South-East and Central Europe, allowing them to share story ideas, data and information, collaborate and utilise a document archive and contacts database.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network launched a new cross-border journalism platform on Wednesday, aiming to connect more than 1,000 journalists who took part in BIRN’s programmes as fellows, trainees and grantees, as well as other journalists reporting on South-East and Central Europe.

BIRD Community offers a unique secure online environment in which to exchange information, as well as a comprehensive database and a rich contacts directory of experts across the Western Balkans.

The idea was the result of more than 15 years of experience in connecting journalists across the Balkans and beyond to produce complex regional analyses and cross-border investigations, as well as BIRN’s experience in providing comprehensive training in investigative reporting.

The aim of BIRD Community is to make journalistic work much easier and take journalistic networking to the next level. By joining BIRD Community, journalists will get:

  • A secure environment in which they can easily reach out to BIRN’s team members and other colleagues from our alumni network across South-East and Central Europe.
  • Free access to BIRD Source, an easily searchable and comprehensive database with thousands of documents collected by BIRN over the years and exclusive data scraped from public registries and state institutions’ websites as well as information obtained through Freedom of Information BIRD Source also offers journalists the opportunity to share their own documents and leaks, and has a tool that allows them to sketch a diagram online to summarise investigative findings with other journalists.
  • Access to BIRD Directory, with around 1,400 names and contacts of experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
  • Access to the Forum in which journalists can easily communicate with other members, privately or publicly.
  • The opportunity to send requests for help, information and advice from other journalists by posting them in the Bulletin Board section. The responses from other members can be made visible to all users or can be kept private.
  • Updates on grants and training opportunities.

Members can create public or private topics in the Forum section – the former will be visible to all members, allowing any of them to join the discussion, while with the latter, the creator can choose which members will be able to participate.

The Bulletin Board section is a place to share opportunities with others, ask for help, swap contacts or find a journalist who specialises in a particular topic. In the Bulletin Board section, members can leave posts which can either be private or be seen by all other members.

Once members subscribe to the posts and topics they want to follow on the Forum and Bulletin Board, they will receive an email each time there is an updates.

BIRD Community is part of a broader platform that BIRN introduced last year, BIRN Investigative Resource Desk (BIRD) – an innovative interactive platform created for professional and citizen journalists who want to keep up-to-date with the fast-changing world of technology without sacrificing their ethics or the standards of professional journalism.

The link that takes you directly to the registration page is here.

Call for Applications for Training in Fundraising

Media representatives from six Western Balkans countries with or without previous knowledge of fundraising are welcome to apply for the two-day online training.

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, is organising a training in fundraising for media representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia within the regional “Media for All” project. The two-day training should help financial managers, project managers/coordinators and other media professionals in charge of media development to gain practical insights about fundraising processes.

Raising money to build and scale-up media organisations in today’s world is particularly challenging. They need to maintain their independence while securing financial sustainability. Finding new approaches to media viability, diversifying revenue streams and investing in quality journalism in the digital age is especially difficult.

Therefore, this training will provide concrete assistance to media organisations/CSOs on how to communicate the purpose of concrete fundraising projects and campaigns with relevant stakeholders, how to approach donors and maintain cooperation with the community. It should also demonstrate that grants and donations from different donor organisations and individuals are one of many available sources of funding.

Lead trainer Petar Subotin, BIRN Regional Development Officer, has extensive experience in fundraising and donor coordination. He supports cross-regional projects implementation and serves as a worldwide liaison with key stakeholders, including private donors and governments. He has also worked at the Novi Sad School of Journalism where he was in charge of writing and implementing projects related to politics, media, human rights and conflict resolution.

Who can apply?

Media outlets representatives (financial managers, project coordinators, employees at senior positions in charge of the development of the organisation/media outlet) with or without previous knowledge of fundraising, who wish to develop skills in this sphere and contribute to the financial growth and stability of their respective media organisations.

How to apply?

Applicants should complete and submit only one application attached to this CfA. All applications should be submitted in English to [email protected] along with the applicant’s CV.

DATE OF TRAINING:  February 10-11, 2021

TRAINING VENUE: Online

LANGUAGE: Working language of the training is English

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Download here

APPLICATION FORM: Download here

DEADLINE: January 31, midnight Central European Time.

Share Your Experience: Violations on Social Media

Have you ever reported any violations on Facebook or Twitter? Was your report processed, content deleted or suspended, or the harassment, violence or hate speech continued? Tell us your story.

We’re looking for people who are willing to share their experience with us to help in a story we’re currently working on. Scroll down for information on how to take part.

The key things we want to know:

  • What type of violations have you reported?
  • In what language was the content?
  • How was the report processed?

What do we consider to be violations of social media community guidelines:

  • Violent threats (direct or indirect)
  • Harassment, which entails inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others
  • Hateful conduct, which entails promoting violence against or directly attacking or threatening other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability or disease.

Things to note:

We are looking for social media users that reported content in the Bosnian, Serbian, Montenegrin, Albanian, and Macedonian languages. We want to hear as many different experiences from all around Southeast Europe.

Your stories will be used to help us with an ongoing investigation.

How to take part?

To submit your experience, all you need to do is fill out this form.

You can also contact us via email: [email protected].

Or you can reach us on social media…

FB: @balkaninsight

TW: @balkaninsight

We’ll need to receive your application by midnight, January 15, 2021.

BIRN Publishes Recruitment Monitoring Report “Parties of Employment”

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in Kosovo, published the “Recruitment Monitoring Report – Parties of Employment”, presenting information resulting from direct monitoring of recruitment processes within a one-year period, from December 2019 to December 2020.

Vacancy announcements opened and conducted by the Assembly of Kosovo have been associated with many problems. Most of the processes were held without the assistance of BDO, the UK company. These processes were not transparent, as MPs have applied an evaluation which leaves no trace on which MP gave what score to a candidate.

Such a non-transparent and secret evaluation diminishes the relevance of interviews, as scoring is based on political affiliation rather than merits or performance in the interviews. Such an evaluation was found in the selection of boards of KOSTT, Ombudsperson, RTK. A similar evaluation was applied by CEC, in the recruitment of the Secretariat CEO.

In this report, BIRN also noted the change of three governments within the year 2020 and dismissal of boards of publicly owned enterprises by each government that came to power. Also, the report provides details of the last Government vacancies for boards of several publicly owned enterprises. These processes are still ongoing, and it is expected that interviews of candidates who met the minimum criteria will start soon.

Following BIRN’s recommendation, for the first time ever the Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo required the evaluation committees to check into the political background of each candidate, requesting data from the Central Election Commission and the State Treasury. After receiving these information, 20 candidates were removed from the race for boards of publicly owned enterprises.

In the end, the report provides a legal analysis of temporary employment of experts, through Procurement Law. Given that procurement is problematic and with many violations, there is a risk that this legal opportunity to employ persons with contracts of up to 36 months will be misused to employ persons associated with politics.

This is the third report published within the project “Supporting Civil Society to Increase Public Oversight and Accountability of Kosovo Public Institutions”, funded by Foreign and Commonwealth Office, through UK Embassy in Pristina.