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BIRN Summer School Chooses Investigative Story Winners

After five days of intensive training at the fourth annual BIRN Summer School, four groups of reporters whose investigations will be funded were announced at the closing ceremony.

The Summer School jury, composed of lead trainer David Leigh, BIRN regional director Gordana Igric, director of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Media Programme South East Europe Christian Spahr and former BIRN editor Lawrence Marzouk, chose the teams from a total of ten.

The teams’ investigations will be financed from a total fund of 6,000 euro and the resulting stories will be published on the Balkan Insight website.

The participants making up the chosen teams were: Kristina Ozimec, Gabriela Delova, Vlado Apostolov and Sashka Cvetkovska from Macedonia; Alisa Mysliu from Albania; Milena Perovic Korac and Milica Marinovic from Montenegro; Magda Munteanu from Romania; Semir Mujkic from Bosnia and Herzegovina; Flutura Kusari, Arta Avdiu and Una Hajdari from Kosovo, and Charly Loufrani from France.

For five days last week, participants at the Summer School from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, France, Austria and Estonia learned how to use freedom of information laws, conduct investigative interviews, make the most of computer-assisted reporting, start investigations and put stories together, and more.

This year’s Summer School also had two special guest lecturers, the chief officer of Bari police, Luigi Rinella, and former FBI undercover agent Stephen Salmieri. While Rinella explained how the Italian part of the international investigation into suspected Balkan drugs criminal Darko Saric operated, Salmieri presented necessary skills for undercover work.

This year’s BIRN Summer School was held at Bled Lake in Slovenia.

The BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2013 was organised in cooperation with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation, the Belgian National Lottery, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and USAID in Macedonia.

Developing Undercover Work at BIRN Summer School

The fourth day of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Summer School programme continued with lectures on undercover operations and research, as well as tips for following paper trails in stories.

Former FBI undercover operative Stephen Salmieri told the journalists participating in the Summer School that undercover investigative work is extremely dangerous, which is why it should be used as sparingly and requires a lot of preparation.

In order to minimise security risks, Salmieri said that journalists working undercover should not change their personality. He also said that journalists should know their targets and research their sources, as well as keep in constant contact with their parent organisation.

“When doing investigations, know everything you can know your enemy. Let go of your ego and reduce tensions. If you come across as aggressive, the situation will quickly escalate,” said Salmieri.

A perfect undercover agent, according to Salmieri, is a smart and aware person who listens carefully.

Two times Pulitzer Prize winner Eric Nalder gave the participants of the Summer School tips on how to gather material evidence and documents from companies and organisations. He emphasised the importance of physically going to organisations, carefully interviewing workers and using psychological tricks to control the communication with them.

Nalder also said that after gathering documents, journalists should organise them carefully.

“Always be organised. Use Excel or other spreadsheets to organise your documents, otherwise you might get lost in them,” said Nalder.

British journalist David Leigh also discussed the need to collect documents, but also highlighted that while writing the story, journalists should make sure to provide readers with several points of access.

“Provide photos, interviews, galleries and short clips. Presentation is key. Your story is useless if it does not reach the public,” said Leigh.

The BIRN Summer School is taking place this week in Slovenia with 30 journalists from Serbia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Austria, Estonia, France and Romania participating. It will finish on Friday.

The BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2013 is organised in cooperation with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation, the Belgian National Lottery, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and USAID in Macedonia.

BIRN’s Summer School Hears Tips For Developing Investigations

The second day of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network’s annual summer school for investigative journalism continued with lectures and workshops on how to develop story ideas and gather information.

Renowned British journalist David Leigh started the day by speaking about possibilities for developing stories which have emerged from major data leaks, such as the material released by WikiLeaks.

“Your aim should be to use WikiLeaks to build your investigations by using the information as actual leads to uncover new things,” said Leigh.

Another way to collect valuable information when building investigations is filing official requests for information to governments, said Helen Derbishire, from the NGO Access Info Europe.

“The requests themselves can help your stories in many ways. For one, you can actually get the information you wanted. Never assume you would not get something. Even if you are rejected, you can appeal, but also you can publish the rejection, which is a story in itself,” she said.

German journalist Marcus Lindemann also revealed ways through which researchers can use Google and social networks to find personal data on individuals of interest.

The executive director of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Paul Radu, said that investigations are about creativity and connecting the dots.

“Today we have a lot of access to a variety of information. The more data we have, allows us to discover bigger schemes… This is fun! It’s just great to ruin the plans of criminals and to get to the bottom of a story,” said Radu.

He used examples of several investigations he worked on to explain the ways in which journalists can gather information about money laundering, offshore companies and proxy companies.

Researcher Laura Ranca highlighted the importance of data visualisation in investigations, explaining that the collected information is only as good as it is presented to the readers.

The BIRN Summer School opened on Monday in Bled, Slovenia with 30 journalists from Serbia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Austria, Estonia, France and Romania participating. The lectures will continue on Wednesday.

BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2013 is organized in cooperation with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and with support of King Baudouin Foundation and Belgium National Lottery and OSCE Mission in Kosovo, OSCE Mission to Serbia and USAID in Macedonia.

BIRN’s Journalism Summer School Opens in Slovenia

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network’s annual summer school for investigative journalism has begun at Lake Bled with 30 young journalists participating.

The journalists – from Serbia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Austria, Estonia, France and Romania – heard on the first day about investigative stories, methods of online research and the challenges of reporting on human trafficking.

Renowned British journalist David Leigh explained that working on investigative stories is a dangerous game. “In essence, you’re blundering along blind, because you don’t know what you’re looking for, but despite this, it is your job to collect the evidence and proof,” said Leigh.

He added that the longstanding principles of Britain’s Guardian newspaper – honesty, integrity, courage, fairness and a sense of duty – are applicable to modern investigative journalism.

Leigh told the participants about a seven-year-long investigation that he was part of, which uncovered bribery in arms dealings in Britain, highlighted the need for patience and hard, written evidence for investigative stories.

“Comment is free, but facts are sacred. This is why it is the job of journalists to get the facts right,” said Leigh.

German executive producer and journalist Marcus Lindemann discussed various online research possibilities. He revealed effective ways in which journalists can get information online about companies, individuals and issues.

The summer school’s first working day ended with a discussion about the challenges of investigative reporting about human trafficking. Independent consultant and adviser Ruth Rosenberg spoke about the need for journalists to be highly sensitive to victims’ needs when reporting about trafficking.

“We must take care of the privacy, confidentiality and security of victims when reporting on human trafficking stories. You, as journalists, must bear in mind that your stories can have extreme consequences for the people you interview,” said Rosenberg.

Slovenian state prosecutor Savica Pureber and Katjusa Popovic from the NGO Kljuc talked about how the state and non-governmental sector work together to deal with human trafficking issues, highlighting the need for media to cover these stories, but in a sensitive and professional manner.

Meanwhile, Marija Andjelkovic from the NGO ASTRA in Serbia told the journalists about her organisation which runs a trafficking hotline which has received thousands of calls.

“The trends of trafficking in Serbia are changing. Ten years ago we had mostly victims of trafficking from Moldova, Russia, but today 99 per cent of victims are from Serbia. We are also seeing a rise in under-age victims,” said Andjelkovic.

Katrin Adams, who works on the prevention of human trafficking for Germany’s Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, said that because these issues have been in the public eye for a while, the situation in the region has improved compared to 15 to 20 years ago.

“Prosecutors and judges have been sensitised. We have NGOs and they cooperate very well, but we have problems with sustainable and coherent ideas to improve the social welfare system. We need sustainable prevention,” said Adams.

BIRN at the screening of Justice in Action documentary

The British Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina premiered Fiona Lloyd-Davies’ award-documentary Justice in Action, on Monday in Sarajevo.

The film features a group of six young students from Mulberry School for Girls in London who embarked on a journey to explore the turbulent history of BiH, the site of Europe’s worst genocide since the Second World War.

“I needed to prepare for victims of rape, victims of genocide, people who have lost their families, and I need to be able to deal with that emotionally,” stated Fatima, one of the girl students.

Their journey took them to Sarajevo and Srebrenica where they had an opportunity to see the sites of mass atrocities and speak to about what justice really means to those who want it most.

“When we talk about justice for victims or justice for survivors they are talking about what I call reckoning”, said Ed Vulliamy, a British-based reporter during the war in Bosnia, recalling an interview with the girls.

In The Hague they attended the trial to Radovan Karadzic, charged for genocide, and spoke to his defence counsel as well as the chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz, and the former BIRN BiH director and ICTY spokesperson Nerma Jelacic.

Justice in Action won Best International Documentary at the People’s Film Festival in New York.

Fiona Lloyd-Davies first went to BiH at the height of the war in July 1992. She continued to work there during and after the war for the BBC, Channel 4 and Al Jazeera English.

BIRN featured in new Bosnia war crimes book

BIRN’s work in the field of war crimes prosecutions and transitional justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina features several times in a new book by Sarajevo-based law professor and human rights activist Goran Simic.

The book, entitled War Crime Trials in BiH, is about the issues faced by people living in a post-conflict society.

“People in post-conflict societies are at a crossroads wondering how to overcome a past filled with war victims, torture, and criminals,” Simic writes in the book.

The author deals with reconciliation and forgiveness from different religious, political and psychological aspects, stating that hundreds if not thousands of war criminals are still walking freely among their victims who at the same time are trying to build normal lives.

Simic defines transitional justice concepts and gives a historical background to the war crimes committed in the 1990s. He also reflects on the work done so far by the institutions dealing with war crimes in the country, and concludes by identifying the issues that are standing in the way of peaceful coexistence.

The book is available in Bosnian via: www.knjiga.ba/sudenja-za-ratne-zlocine-u-bosni-i-hercegovini-k8839.html

The author’s website address is: www.goransimic.ba.

BIRN Assesses Serbian Government’s First Year

BIRN Serbia has published a report about the government’s progress in fulfilling election promises in four key areas – economy, health, education and the fight against corruption.

For the past year, BIRN Serbia has been monitoring government policies in the four areas which citizens singled out as the most important to their personal and social well-being.

The monitoring results showed that the government had made limited progress in fulfilling election promises made and that implementation was even slower dynamics politicians planned.

According to BIRN’s report, the least progress was made in the field of education. The most important legislative activity was related to the adoption of the Education Development Strategy in Serbia to 2020, although no action plan was adopted for its implementation.

In the health area, the government should seriously work on establishing anti-corruption measures, transparency in public procurement, the availability of health protection by clearly defining the status of private practices, and infrastructure improvement.

In this field, campaign promises were partly fulfilled by expanding the number of patients who are eligible for health insurance at the expense of the state and by implementing some measures of population policy. The long-awaited law on the protection of patients’ rights was also adopted.

The Anti-Corruption Strategy is the most important document which was adopted by the government and parliament in the field of the fight against graft, and contains key recommendations for the prevention of corruption and the strengthening of independent control institutions.

Even though the privatisation audit showed government’s determination to fight corruption, work should continue to strengthen institutional mechanisms in order to minimise corruption, which is seen as systemic.

In the economic field, which is the top priority for the public, there was very little progress, even though most of the legislative initiatives in the past year were launched in this area. The government was unable to find an adequate solution to the economic crisis, unemployment is still high and it is necessary to consolidate public finances in order to reduce the budget deficit and public debt.

The report is part of the BIRN Serbia ‘Monitoring Policies of the Government of Serbia’ project, which was conducted under the auspices of the British Embassy in Belgrade.

More information is available at http://www.skockajtebudzet.rs/rs/clanak/godinu-dana-vlade-ne-ispunjenost-obecanja

BIRN Summer School Scholarships Open Until August 5

Balkan-based journalists can apply for scholarships at the BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2013 until August 5.

This year’s BIRN Summer School will be held at Bled Lake in Slovenia from August 25-31.

All those interested should apply online by following this link: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/birn-summer-school/birn-summer-school-2013-enrolment.

Experienced journalists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia can apply for full scholarships that will cover full-board accommodation, a travel fee up to 100 euros and BIRN’s published textbook “Digging Deeper: A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans”.

Application for international participants is open until August 20.

Belgrade Insight Supports Malaysian Charity Bazaar

BIRN Ltd’s newspaper, Belgrade Insight, was a media partner for the Malaysian embassy’s charity bazaar which raised funds for maternity wards in a couple of Serbia’s health centres.

Malaysian embassy’s charity bazaar, held on May 25 in Belgrade, raised 360,000 dinars for the improvement of maternity wards at the Aleksinac and Knazevac health centres. Belgrade Insight, BIRN’s English-language newspaper, was the media partner of the embassy for the occasion.

More than 3,000 people attended the bazaar, including numerous diplomats, representatives of Serbian and international companies and local celebrities.

At the bazaar, visitors had the chance to enjoy traditional Malaysian cuisine and a cultural programme, as well as to buy Serbian and Malaysian handicrafts.

Belgrade Insight, on sale since May 2008, is published fortnightly by BIRN.

The newspaper covers all aspects of life in Belgrade – from politics to business, culture to sport and lifestyle to current affairs.

A must-read for all foreign residents of Belgrade, domestic decision-makers and anyone else who simply needs to know what’s happening in the Serbian capital, Belgrade Insight enjoys the respect of its readership and a level of credibility that is unparalleled in Belgrade’s print media sector.

In addition to detailed analysis and coverage of political, economic and business affairs, Belgrade Insight provides its readers with everything that expatriates, short-term visitors and local residents need to know in order to enjoy this great city.

BIRN Publishes Belgrade Travel Guide

BIRN has completed the first edition of its new book, Belgrade Insight City Guide, which will go on sale on August 1.

Belgrade Insight City Guide offers all the information that a visitor to the city could need, in a pocket format that’s easy to carry around. The book comes with a free pull-out map of Belgrade and a free VIP SIM card.

The book contains a range of fascinating stories about Belgrade’s history, legends and most famous inhabitants. Along with suggestions for Belgrade must-sees, including a list of top tourist attractions no visitor should miss, the guide also highlights hidden attractions not featured in any other guide.

In Belgrade Insight City Guide, visitors will find listings on museums, monuments, parks, churches, synagogues and mosques along with info on entrance fees, opening hours, useful facts and guided tours.

The guide provides practical information that will ease visitors’ stay in the city. There is information on accommodation, restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, shopping venues, theatres, cinemas and sports facilities, all accompanied by detailed directories.

There is also information on visas and customs procedures, health and security, money and banking and Belgrade transport options, accompanied by a full map of the city’s public transport system, information for disabled travellers and customs and rules that visitors should be aware of while in Belgrade.

The book will be available from August 1 at the Tourist Organisation of Belgrade premises at Knez Mihailova Street 5, the Central Train Station, Nikola Tesla Airport and Belgrade Port on Karadjordjeva Street.