Author: Eleni Stamatoukou

Igor Vujčić, 37, comes from Serbia and has worked for BIRN as a graphic designer for the last three years. His natural gift in arts guided him to study at the College of Fine and Applied Arts in Belgrade.

Balkan Insight’s biggest investigative and long-form stories have his visual signature. His style has formed Balkan Insight’s unique visual identity.

Igor prefers to illustrate investigative stories, as they are more personal and include a human factor, unlike global news stories.

He believes that illustration is powerful, as it conveys the message that journalists want to transfer to the readers through their words, while simultaneously working as a tool to attract readers.

1. Why did you become a graphic designer/illustrator? Who is your favourite artist?

As it usually goes with artists, from the first day I could hold a pen in my hand it was clear that I would become an artist, or something close to that. Throughout my childhood, I would sit for hours and draw superheroes and other favourite cartoon characters, so my natural choice after elementary school was the Design School in Belgrade, and the best fit to meet my passion for illustration was the Graphic Design department. There is certainly a bit of genetics in all that, as both my father and mother, though an electrical engineer and a medical worker, always had talent for drawing. Now my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter can already draw faces and details like at least a four-year-old kid.

Illustrator Bob Zivkovic was my childhood “hero”, while now that I’ve dived into the world of illustration, I cannot single out one favourite artist.

2. Why did you decide to work as an illustrator for a media company, namely Balkan Insight?

Working for a media company like Balkan Insights enables a lot of freedom in expression, creativity and participation in diverse projects. It’s not only about getting the work done; I must also immerse myself in the topic and think metaphorically, finding new relations between objects and themes to convey the right message to the viewer. It is never boring and is quite challenging.

3. What do you like most in your job in Balkan Insight and what is the most challenging thing? 

The possibility to experiment with styles is a big plus in this job; depending on the subject, I need to find the appropriate style which best fits the context. It enables me to make an authentic design that makes me also satisfied with my work. That is challenging at the same time, as I don’t use the same template and “recycle”, but always start from scratch.

4. How difficult or easy is it to illustrate a media story and an in-depth investigation for Balkan Insight? How do visual elements contribute to media stories?

If done right, illustration is a powerful tool to attract readers and convey the message as, along with the headline, they tell part of a story, but still not enough, so they trigger a viewer’s curiosity, and our urge is to understand the whole story and not leave it “half-baked” in our minds. There is an expression that “people are visual creatures,” so the illustration for a media story makes a long-standing mark and adds to the expression of the journalist. That is at least what I hope is my contribution to an article.

5. What kind of stories do you prefer to illustrate? Which is your favourite illustration you have done for Balkan Insight?

I mostly enjoy doing illustrations for investigative stories, as they are more personal and include a human factor, unlike global news stories. That means I can better relate to them and put myself in the correspondent’s shoes, and as a result provide a better visual for the story.

As for my favourite illustration, it is better to ask my colleagues and readers – what made the greatest impression and what triggered the conversation?

6. Do you believe media should have visual identity? Can you tell us about Balkan Insight’s visual identity?

As the case is with any organization, visual identity makes a brand recognizable and enhances the credibility of the news piece.

When it comes to the visual identity of Balkan Insight, there is a good balance between excellent quality photography and illustration, which puts it on a par with major worldwide media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eleni Stamatouku, 41, has been working for BIRN’s flagship Balkan Insight for the last two years as our correspondent from Greece as well as Communications Manager in BIRN.

Based in Athens, she has a BA in Balkan Studies and MA in Social Anthropology and wanted to be a journalist since she was a young child. For her, journalism allows people to “live” different lives by meeting people from all cultures.

She always tries to include the human side in all the topics she reports on, so it is even easier for the readers to relate. She has led BIRN’s investigation into the harassment of Greek women journalists in their workplaces. The investigation covered incidents from 1993 to 2021, revealing that female journalists in Greece do not feel safe reporting incidents.

1. Why did you decide to become a journalist?

 When we were in the first grade, our teacher asked us to write down what we wanted to become when we grew up. I still have this composition. I wrote that I wanted to be a teacher or a journalist. I chose to be a journalist because I like listening to and writing stories. Through journalism, you can “live” different lives and meet extraordinary people and cultures. That’s the good part of our profession.

2.  Do you have a quote, it can be directly about journalism or not, that you keep in mind during your work? If yes, share it with us and explain why you picked it.

After finishing reporting (reading, interviews, transcriptions, meetings, etc.), the best part is the writing process, as I listen to music to concentrate and write. In her book “Girl in a band: A Memoir” Kim Gordon, who formed Sonic Youth together with Thurston Moore, narrates a conversation she had with her friend, an artist called Dan, who confesses to her that he wishes he could make art that was like a Kinks’ song. Gordon questions herself, saying: “A lot of artists listen to music while they work, and many think, ‘Why can’t I make art that looks as intense as the sounds I’m hearing’? I don’t have an answer.” I wish my journalism could be as intense as the sounds of my favourite songs – a difficult task.

3. What do you like most in your job, and what is the most challenging thing?

I am very proud to be part of BIRN’s family and have the chance to collaborate with many people from different backgrounds and cultures. The thing that I like is that I am always learning something new. The most challenging thing in my everyday work is the deadlines and the obstacles, when companies, state bodies, and people do not answer my questions.

4. On what kind of stories do you prefer to work and why? Which is your favoirite story you have written for Balkan Insight so far?

I like to write primarily human stories because I feel like that’s the only way readers can feel some connection and relate. Even in the most difficult investigations, I always try to get people talking first.

One of my favorite investigations is “No Refund: How Greece Made Passengers Pay to KeepAirlines Alive,” which is about consumers in Greece and abroad who were waiting to get their money back from three Greek airlines (Aegean Airlines, Sky Express, Ellinair) when their flights were canceled due to the pandemic. The Greek government supported a voucher-only compensation scheme at the expense of consumers, and contrary to European law. I should note here that the Greek media refused to publish this research at first. Aegean Airlines is one of the largest companies in Greece and has a big influence.

5. Recently you published an investigation into the #metoo movement in Greek media. Would you like to tell us more about this story and its importance?

Due to the lack of a media watchdog in Greece, BIRN investigated the harassment of Greek female journalists in their workplaces.

The BIRN investigation disclosed that female journalists are often afraid to report such abuse and harassment and ignore the procedures. At the same time, most media in Greece do not even have the means to handle such cases.

BIRN’s research covered incidents over almost 30 years, from 1993 to 2021, documented through interviews with current and former media industry workers

The investigation was republished in Greek by the EFSYN newspaper and presented by several Greek media, such as Lifo, In.gr, ERT3, Proto Thema, Marie Claire, TVXS, Ladylike.gr, Popaganda.gr etc.

BIRN’s investigation helped open up a long-needed debate on the abuse and harassment of female journalists in the Greek media.

6. What were the main obstacles during this investigation?

 I want to thank my editor-in-chief Dusica Tomovic and all my editors and colleagues at Balkan Insight. Without their support, I could not have done this research. The biggest difficulty was how to approach the female victims who agreed to meet in person. I was very anxious how to make the interviewees feel safe so that they would trust me and share their stories with me. Then there were various other small “difficulties” such as the reactions of the Greek media – some of which were exaggerated – when we asked to see if they have procedures where victims can seek help and report their abuse / harassment. A second investigation could certainly be written about the reactions of the Greek media. I hope our report helps in some way to slowly change things in the Greek press.

7.  What is your advice to aspiring journalists who want to work as correspondents in our region?

 Read as much as you can (books, investigations, etc.,) write as much as you can, work hard, travel, be open, ask questions, don’t give up, and dream.