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Call for Applications: Basic Journalism Training for High School Students

As part of the EU-supported “Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists” project, BIRN Kosovo is seeking students from Kosovo’s public high schools interested in undergoing training in media production, media literacy and tackling fake news. In June 2021, two training sessions from the same program were held with a total of 35 high school students from Gjilan and Ferizaj.

There is currently a promising generation of high school students in Kosovo who have the talent, creative ideas and willingness to engage in investigative journalism, but the media lacks a specific platform to provide these students the chance to express their skills through writing and community reporting.

In order to capitalize on the interest in journalism among young people, and in an attempt to plug the gap in the education system, BIRN Kosovo will organize eight (8) additional training sessions for high school students in a program that aims to nurture young talent by mentoring students in the production of videos, photos and articles in order to achieve the main goal of the activity which is to lay the path for increased independence, transparency, accountability and civic engagement.

The training sessions will introduce the students to journalism, including topics like journalistic language and concepts, reporting standards, photography tips, production materials for video content, video editing, investigative journalism, ethics and author’s rights.

At the end of each training session, youngsters from high schools across Kosovo will pitch their journalistic ideas, which the BIRN team will collect and thoroughly analyse before selecting a minimum of 60 video and article ideas that will be published on the online platform KallxoRinia. The production process for all of these articles will be overseen by a team of BIRN Kosovo editors.

Who can apply?

Students attending Social Studies departments at Kosovo’s public high schools of the regions such as: Prishtina, Mitrovica, Prizren, Gorazdveac within the Peja region, Gjakova, Drenas, Malisheva and Rahovec.

The number of participants is limited in each training session due to restrictions preventing the spread of COVID-19. A maximum 25 participants per training will be selected.

How to apply?

Please fill in the form provided in the link below:

Deadline for applications: 10:00 (C.E.T.) on August 31, 2021

Thirrje për aplikim: Trajnim bazik në Gazetari për studentët e shkollave të mesme

BIRN Kosova, në bashkëpunim me Institutin Ndërkombëtar të Medias (IPI) është në kërkim të nxënësve nga shkollat publike të Kosovës të interesuar për të qenë pjesë e trajnimit për prodhim medial dhe shkrim-lexim mediatik si dhe trajtimin e lajmeve të rreme si pjesë e projektit “Solidifikimi i Qëndrueshmërisë së Gazetarëve të Tanishëm dhe të Ardhshëm të Kosovës“, i cili mbështetet nga BE. Në qershor 2021, u mbajtën dy trajnime nga i njëjti program me gjithsej 35 nxënës të shkollave të mesme nga Gjilani dhe Ferizaji.

Aktualisht ekziston një gjeneratë premtuese e nxënësve të shkollave të mesme në Kosovë që kanë talent, ide krijuese dhe gatishmëri për t’u angazhuar në gazetari hulumtuese, mirëpo media nuk ka një platformë specifike për t’u siguruar këtyre studentëve mundësinë për të shprehur aftësitë e tyre përmes shkrimit dhe raportimit lokal.

Me qëllim që të përfitojnë nga interesimi i të rinjve në gazetari, dhe në një përpjekje për të plotësuar boshllëkun në sistemin arsimor, BIRN Kosova do të organizojë tetë (8) seanca trajnimi për nxënës të shkollave të mesme në një program që synon të shtojë talentin e të rinjve duke mentoruar studentët në prodhimin e videove, fotove dhe artikujve në mënyrë që të arrihet qëllimi kryesor i aktivitetit që është vë bazat për rritjen e pavarësisë, transparencës, llogaridhënies dhe angazhimit qytetar.

Sesionet trajnuese do t’i njohin studentët me gazetarinë, duke përfshirë tema si gjuha dhe konceptet gazetareske, standardet e raportimit, këshillat e fotografisë, materialet e prodhimit për përmbajtjen e videos, redaktimi i videos, gazetaria hulumtuese, etika dhe të drejtat e autorit.

Në fund të çdo sesioni trajnimi, të rinjtë nga shkollat e mesme anembanë Kosovës do t’i paraqesin idetë e tyre gazetareske, të cilat ekipi i BIRN do t’i mbledhë dhe do t’i analizojë hollësisht para se ta bëjë përzgjedhjen e një minimumi prej 60 videosh dhe ide shkrimi që do të publikohen në platformën në internet KallxoRinia. Procesi i prodhimit për të gjithë këta artikuj do të mbikëqyret nga një ekip i redaktorëve të BIRN-it në Kosovë.

Kush mund të aplikojë?

Studentët të cilët janë në vijim të drejtimeve shoqërore në shkollat publike të Kosovës në regjionet si: Prishtina, Mitrovica, Prizreni, Gorazdevci brenda regjionit të Pejës, Gjakova, Drenasi, Malisheva dhe Rahoveci.

Numri i pjesëmarrësve është i kufizuar në çdo sesion trajnimi për shkak të kufizimeve me qëllim të parandalimit të përhapjes së COVID-19. Do të zgjidhen maksimumi 25 pjesëmarrës për trajnim.

Si duhet aplikuar?

Ju lutem plotësojeni formularin e ofruar në vegzën si më poshtë:

Afati i fundit për aplikim: 31 gusht 2021, ora 10:00 (sipas kohës lokale)

Poziv za prijave: Osnovna novinarska obuka za srednjoškolce

Kao deo projekta koji podržava EU „Učvršćivanje pozicija sadašnjih i budućih novinara na Kosovu“, BIRN Kosovo poziva učenike kosovskih javnih srednjih škola zainteresovanih za obuku iz medijske produkcije, medijske pismenosti i borbe protiv lažnih vesti. U junu 2021. su održane dve obuke iz istog programa sa ukupno 35 učenika srednjih škola iz Gnjilana i Uroševca.

Trenutno na Kosovu postoji perspektivna generacija srednjoškolaca koji imaju talenat, kreativne ideje i volju da se bave istraživačkim novinarstvom, ali medijima nedostaje posebna platforma koja bi ovim učenicima pružila priliku da iskažu svoje veštine pisanjem i izveštavanjem iz zajednice.

Kako bi iskoristio interesovanje za novinarstvo među mladima i u pokušaju da prevaziđe jaz u obrazovnom sistemu, BIRN Kosovo će organizovati dodatnih osam (8) treninga za srednjoškolce u programu koji ima za cilj negovanje mladih talenata kroz mentorisanje učenika u video produkciji, fotografiji i člancima kako bi se postigao glavni cilj aktivnosti, a to je otvaranje puta za veću nezavisnost, transparentnost, odgovornost i građanski angažman.

Treninzi će učenike upoznati sa novinarstvom, uključujući teme poput novinarskog jezika i koncepata, standarda izveštavanja, saveta za fotografiju, produkciju materijala za video sadržaje, video montažu, istraživačko novinarstvo, etiku i autorska prava.

Na kraju svakog treninga, mladi iz srednjih škola širom Kosova će predstaviti svoje novinarske ideje koje će BIRN-ova ekipa prikupiti i detaljno analizirati pre nego što odabere najmanje 60 ideja za video i članke koji će biti objavljeni na on-line platformi KallxoRinia. Proces produkcije svih ovih članaka će nadgledati tim urednika BIRN Kosovo.

Ko se može prijaviti?

Učenici koji pohađaju odeljenja za društvene nauke u kosovskim javnim srednjim školama u regionima kao što su: Priština, Mitrovica, Prizren, Goraždveac u pećkom regionu, Đakovica, Glogovac, Mališevo i Orahovac.

Broj učesnika na svakom treningu je ograničen zbog restrikcija kojima se sprečava širenje COVID-19. Biće izabrano najviše 25 učesnika po treningu.

Ko se može prijaviti?

Molimo popunite obrazac priložen na linku ispod:

Rok za prijavljivanje: 31. avgust 2021. godine u 10.00 (CET)

BIRN Albania Presents Its Social Media Research Findings

On July 27th, BIRN Albania held a consultation session with civil society organisations in Tirana, to present the findings of its research on the use of social media by political actors and entities during the campaign for the April 25th parliamentary elections.

The session was attended by two dozen civil society representatives from organisations that monitored the work of Albanian institutions and political parties in the elections.

This was the second presentation session held by BIRN Albania. At an earlier meeting, the findings were shared with experts and officials from Albania’s Central Electoral Commission, CEC.

The event was held as part of the project “Monitoring political discourse in social media during the 2021 parliamentary elections in Albania”, which was supported by the National Democratic Institute.

This project aims to contribute towards a more transparent social media space, so that citizens have increased access to a range of views and opinions during elections campaigns in order for them to make informed decisions.

To achieve this, based on the results on the monitoring of social media networks during the election, in cooperation with civil society and experts, BIRN Albania is identifying a number of recommendations that it believes the CEC should address ahead of the next election.

The findings of the monitoring report were presented by BIRN Albania’s Executive Director, Kristina Voko. They were followed by a discussion and recommendations by civil society representatives present.

BIRN Albania Holds Regional Info Sessions with Civil Society, Journalists

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania over the last three weeks held three regional information sessions for civil society activists and journalists on its EU-funded project, “Using Big Data and Multimedia to Boost Quality and Independent Journalism in Albania”, which is co-financed by the European Union and the Swedish government and implemented by BIRN Albania.

Three information sessions were held, on July 22^nd, July 28^th and July 30^th, in Elbasan, Shkodra and Vlora. The sessions, which 50 civil society activists and journalists attended, aimed to introduce local actors to BIRN Albania’s project, which supports journalists to report on the work of public inspectorates.

This project aims to create an enabling environment for Albanian journalists to produce independent content through training, mentoring, technical and financial support, and through close cooperation with civil society, so improving freedom of expression and strengthening media pluralism in Albania.

During the information sessions, BIRN Albania’s editor-in-chief, Besar Likmeta, gave a short overview of the project, while inviting participants to debate possible topics for in-depth data-driven stories, which cover the work of public inspectorates, ranging from environmental crime to fisheries, workers’ safety, mining accidents, consumer rights and public administration reform.

The activists and civil society representatives present at the meetings proposed important topics that journalists could investigate, while also calling for more coverage of their causes and activities from the media.

While underlining the importance of close cooperation between civil society and media, journalists explained that the basic tenets of news value and editorial considerations often conditioned their coverage, while calling on civil society experts to speak with a stronger voice on issues that are critical to the community.

Both parties recognised that, despite the challenges, their professional cooperation was important to address issues to a wider audience that are key to the rights of local communities, marginalized groups and individuals.

BIRN Holds ‘Youth Memory Transfer’ Workshop in Tuzla and Srebrenica

Ten participants from Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia attended BIRN’s three-day workshop on producing high-quality stories about the past that centre on war crime victims’ experiences.

The “Youth Memory Transfer” workshop held in Tuzla, Bosnia, from July 25-29 provided ten young people from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia with comprehensive training on fact checking, storytelling and transitional justice reporting.

The workshop started with talks given by Marija Ristic, BIRN’s Regional Director, and Lamija Grebo, BIRN journalist, who told the participants how to tell a story in compelling way while at the same time introducing them to the journalistic ethics and standards related to the reporting of war crimes, the culture of remembrance and other sensitive matters.

“Our focus was always to ensure impartial reporting about the past through professional journalism. With this programme, we want young people to hear firsthand experiences about the war past and learn different ways of storytelling with the aim of creating compelling content,” Ristic said.

“Through fact-based reporting and truth-seeking techniques, we are equipping young people with the skills to fight growing disinformation and revisionism in the region,” Ristic added.

On the first day, by applying what they had learned in the previous sessions, participants prepared their questions for interviews with war victims scheduled for the end of the workshop.

The day ended with a “memory walk” led by BIRN’s Programme Manager, Sofija Todorovic, which introduced participants to the facts about the Tuzlanska Kapija crime of May 25, 1995. Youth Memory Transfer participants visited the cemetery of the victims and the memorial site in the city centre of Tuzla, where the massacre took place.

On the second day of the workshop, participants worked with Ristic on ways to make their stories bulletproof. They also attended the screening of BIRN’s documentary The Unidentified.

Participants also visited the Srebrenica Memorial Center and the victims’ cemetery in Potocari. At the Memorial Center, they had a guided tour though the exhibitions and learned more about the 1995 Srebrenica genocide and its consequences.

The last day of the workshop was dedicated to interviews with the victims and survivors of the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After two days of preparations, group assignments and lessons, the participants interviewed ten people who had survived wartime atrocities from the Tuzla and Podrinje area.

In the second phase of the “Youth Memory Transfer” Programme, participants will work on the production of video materials and, using the skills they have gained, will interview direct or indirect victims of the conflicts that followed the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

This workshop is part of the Balkan Transitional Justice programme that aims to broaden public understanding of transitional justice issues in the former Yugoslavia.

The workshop was held in line with the current coronavirus health regulations. BIRN and its partner(s) are supported by RYCO within the 4th Open Call for Project Proposals co-financed by the European Union.

BIRN Kosovo Listed by US State Department as a Resource of Reporting Corruption for the Second Year in a Row

In its 2021 Investment Climate report on Kosovo, the US State Department has listed BIRN and its executive director Jeta Xharra as a useful resource for reporting corruption for the second time in a row.

The US State Department has listed BIRN Kosovo and its director Jeta Xharra as a resource for reporting corruption in a report on the global investment climate in 2021. In 2012, BIRN and Internews Kosova established the KALLXO.com platform for reporting corruption and other irregularities in the provision of public services.

The report states that despite Kosovo Government’s efforts to combat the widespread corruption in Kosovo, it has resulted in unsuccessful attempts to properly investigate, imprison and punish the corrupted individuals in Kosovo.

The US State Department lists the Anti-Corruption Agency and the Office of the Auditor General as government agencies mandated to fight corruption. Other resources for reporting corruption listed by the State Department for 2021 are Shaip Havolli, the director of the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency, the Ombudsperson Naim Qelaj and Ismet Kryeziu, the director of the Kosovo Democratic Institute/Transparency International.

Meet the People Behind BIRN: Sofija Todorovic

Each month, BIRN introduces you to its people. For July, meet Sofija Todorovic, Project Manager.

Sofija, 29, is responsible for BIRN’s projects that deal with monitoring human rights. Today, she introduces us to BIRN’s new programme: Reporting on gender-based violence in the Balkans.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of domestic violence and online abuses have risen more than ever in the region. At the same time, the voices of the victims of gender-based violence are beginning to resonate within societies.

This summer, with the support of The Balkan Trust for Democracy, a Project of the German Marshall Fund, BIRN took the initiative and partnered up with ATINA NGO and launched a new specialized programme for journalists and writers to counter the trend of violence based on victims’ gender.

Why now? Sofija explains that through its ongoing monitoring process, BIRN has mapped numerous cases of digital rights violations directly linked to gender-based violence.

“Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, women were exposed to increased violence both offline and online. Based on the evidence, BIRN reported that the rates of domestic abuse went up, since states in the Balkans began imposing strict limitations on movement in the fight against COVID-19,” Sofija says.

The collaboration with ATINA NGO came about as a result of the creation of BIRN’s SEE Digital Rights Network, a network of 19 organisations across the Balkans that aim to advance the protection of digital rights and address the growing challenges posed by the widespread use of advanced technologies in society.

“With ATINA NGO, we realized that there are so many practices we can exchange in order to improve the quality of reporting about gender-based violence in the region,” says Sofija.

“Moreover, victims of gender-based violence rarely trust journalists due to the mainstream media landscape, where media disregard the trauma of the victim in the search for sensationalistic coverage. In addition, the societal stigma that haunts the victims is very powerful in the Balkans, so we aim to contribute to building a more sensitised public space for the survivors and victims,” she adds.

Journalists, writers and reporters from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are invited to apply for this unique opportunity to examine and expose different aspects of the trend towards offline and online gender-based violence in the region. Applications close on August 21.

“People working in the media usually lack resources to work on substantial topics that require time and patience. With this programme, we aim to give them a chance to report on a burning issue in the region, by providing them with editorial support, funds, contacts and new set of skills,” Sofija concludes.

BIRN BiH Leads Petition for More Transparency in Bosnia’s Judiciary

Through a campaign to collect citizens’ signatures, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, wants to draw public attention to the problem of inaccessible corruption indictments and verdicts, asking judicial institutions to increase the transparency of their work.

BIRN BiH will hand over the signatures alongside an analysis on the (non)transparency of the judiciary and recommendations for improvements to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, HJPC, demanding a revision of recommendations for publication of prosecutorial acts, in particular the public availability of corruption indictments.

Through its project, “Transparency against Corruption in Judiciary,” BIRN BiH wants to encourage citizens to take a proactive role and seek necessary changes in the judiciary, as well as raise awareness on the need to standardize document publication practices with the focus on corruption indictments and point to bad practices in the Bosnian judiciary in terms of transparency.

This campaign is being carried out as part of the “Transparency against Corruption in Judiciary” project with financial support from the US Agency for International Development, USAID.

It forms part of a broader project, “Assistance to Citizens in the Fight against Corruption,” which is being implemented by the Centers for Civic Initiatives as the leading partner.

Petition can be signed here

Video for the campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsrLO30-3DU

BIRN Trains New Cohort on Basics of Journalism

Over July, BIRN editor Matt Robinson trained 12 aspiring journalists from the Western Balkans who are part of BIRN’s Traineeship programme for young journalists on the basics of journalism.

From July 7^th to July 21^st, a new group of trainees from the six countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – had an opportunity to learn the basics of journalism, propose topics for their feature stories and work on their stories with BIRN editor and trainer Matt Robinson.

Marija Pešić from Montenegro said she hoped the training would lead to opening some journalistic doors in Europe. “I expect that the training will teach me standards of reporting and journalism and prepare me for working in relevant media outlets in my country and the region,” she said.

During the four training sessions, Robinson and the participants discussed the similarities and differences between news stories, features and analyses.

The group were trained on writing structure, how to conduct an interview and on the use of quotes and sources when writing features and investigations. Finally, they discussed journalistic ethics, balance and fairness.

Fatima Memić, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said she expected the Traineeship programme to prepare her for a career in journalism. “Matt through his training is doing just that – teaching the basics of journalism but also motivating us to think out of the box and show all our potential,” she said.

After finishing the training with Robinson, the participants will spend the next couple of months working in professional newsrooms in the region as part of their Traineeship programme.

They will have the chance to become full-time members of the newsroom, attend editorial meetings, learn how to pitch ideas and choose relevant angles for a story, learn how to cover daily events and perform different kinds of interviews, work in the field, do a live broadcast, write analyses, feature stories and fact-checks, and much more.

The second round of the Traineeship programme was launched after the first cycle from November 2020 until February 2021 was completed, where 12 aspiring, young journalists spent four months working in professional newsrooms in the region, producing over 300 different news pieces.

Some examples of their work may be seen here, here, here and here. The programme saw great results, as a number of the participants were offered roles or temporary positions at different media outlets after completing their traineeship.

The Traineeship programme for young journalists is part of the “Media for all” programme funded by the British government and implemented by the British Council in partnership with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN), Thomson Foundation and INTRAC, The International NGO Training and Research Centre.

Open call: Reporting on Gender-Based Violence in the Balkans

Journalists and writers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are invited to apply for a specialised programme that aims to examine and expose different aspects of the trend of offline and online gender-based violence in the region.

BIRN has partnered with ATINA NGO to counter the growing trend of violence based on the victims’ gender by increasing the capacity of journalists to understand the complexity of gender-based violence and exploitation and empowering them to engage in covering gender-related issues. Through its programme, BIRN is looking for journalists and writers interested in revealing the scale of gender-based violence in the region.

We are offering a specialised, eight-month programme that includes: on-the-job mentoring and editorial sessions to produce high-quality journalism; educational sessions focused on gender-based violence; financial support and assistance.

We are particularly interested in stories that cover under-reported topics of violence against women in the region. The applications will be evaluated based on the following: relevance of the presented story, feasibility, originality of the piece, professional qualifications of the applicants, motivation expressed in the application and journalistic approach

Each selected candidate/team will receive a bursary of 1,000 euros to support their reporting. If the story covers more than one of the targeted countries, this will be seen as an advantage.

To apply for the programme, use the application form attached below to send us your story proposal.

This call is open until August 21, 2021.

Why?

Through its current ongoing monitoring process, BIRN has mapped numerous cases of digital rights violations directly linked to gender-based violence.

Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, women were exposed to increased violence both offline and online. Based on the evidence, BIRN reported that the rates of domestic abuse went up since states in the Balkans began imposing strict limitations on movement in the fight against COVID-19.

Gender-based violence is prohibited under numerous international conventions, as well as under national laws in many countries. But the legal framework is often hazy when it comes to online gender-based violence, even though the consequences can be equally as destructive. Online perpetrators frequently go unidentified.

While both women and men report exposure to such violence, the data indicate that women and girls are the most common victims of online violence. They suffer the most drastic forms of violence and are most affected by the consequences of this type of violence. The need for more thorough research on violence against women and girls is indicated by the fact that 9 million girls in Europe say they experienced some form of digital violence by the age of 15, that one in five teenagers in Europe report becoming victims of cyberbullying, that girls are at higher risk, and that in 2014, 87 per cent of reported photos of child sexual abuse were photographs of girls.

BIRN’s investigation from the previous year on attacks on female journalists in the Balkans has shown that they face online abuse on a daily basis and many have said they were left to suffer alone.

Who can apply?

The programme is open to all journalists and writers who believe they have a good story on an under-reported topic concerning gender-based violence in the Balkans. We also welcome applications from staff reporters from local and national media who wish to co-publish the story with us.

Story requirements

The story must deal with the gender-based violence (online and offline) in the targeted region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia).
The story must be relevant to the Balkan region.
We are looking for in-depth, investigative stories that provide new information or have a unique angle on the issue.
The story should be around 1,500 words long.
Each selected story must be published within six months of receipt of the first installment of the bursary.

How to apply?

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

Download the Story Grant Form

Download the Declaration

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

EU Awards for Investigative Journalism Announced in Kosovo

The three best investigative stories in Kosovo published in 2020 were awarded in Pristina on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

Six journalists who received the awards exposed important information about illegal gambling, violation of anti-monopoly rules and fraud with college accreditations and degrees.

The awards were presented by the EU Special Representative to Kosovo, Ambassador Tomas Szuyong who noted that a free media and independent journalism is essential for any democratic society, and by Xhelal Neziri, the Head of Jury who made a summary of the jury decision and commented on the relevance of all awarded stories, noting how “investigative journalists have been a great contribution to the democracy of this country, because transparency is the foundation of a functioning democratic state”.

This year’s jury consisted of Neziri, as Head of Jury and jury members Edis Agani and Mustafa Canka.

Jeta Xharra and Visar Prebreza came in first place for the best investigative story, “Unclean energy: A Kosovar who owned the sun”, about a Kosovo businessman who stands behind six companies registered in Malta, reaping millions of euros from the sale of solar energy – in violation of anti-monopoly rules.

The BIRN investigation found out that Blerim Devolli receives incentives to produce more than half of the total solar energy used in Kosovo. The six-month investigation uncovered hidden companies, owned by a single person, through which solar energy is produced, and resulted in the country’s Anti-Corruption Agency opening an investigation based on BIRN’s inquiries.

Xharra, in her acceptance speech, emphasized the importance of those in government as well as citizens with integrity being willing to fight corruption and wrongdoing.

The second award, for a story of exceptional quality, went to Besa Kalaja and Besnik Boletini whose article “Victims of private colleges” addressed the manipulation that has been done for years and is still being done by private colleges in Kosovo.

Their research found that thousands of students have completed their studies and graduated from private colleges, but have not legally graduated because the colleges did not obtain all the right accreditation or get registered at the Ministry of Education. Due to this, many students lost their right to scholarships abroad.

Finally, a story about illegal gambling in a village of Karaçeva by Kreshnik Gashi and Adelina Ahmeti won third prize as a story of exceptional quality.

After the adoption of a law that made gambling illegal in Kosovo, KALLXO.com received information that gambling was being conducted illegally in different locations. This information revealed that a neighbourhood had been set up in the village of Karaçeva where facilities functioned as casinos.

In cooperation with the KALLXO.com team, prosecutor Rozelida Manastiri started an investigation which lasted about 14 months. The series, “Crime in Karaçeva 1&2”, involved several months of investigation resulting in the capture and arrest of more than 50 people in connection with the Karaçeva case.

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism is presented annually in six Western Balkan countries and Turkey for exceptional investigations published in the previous year.