Category: Outputs

BIRN Macedonia Launches “Skopje 2014 Uncovered” Database

On the anniversary of the devastating Skopje earthquake in 1963, BIRN Macedonia published an online interactive database “Skopje 2014 Uncovered” documenting the new classical look of Skopje in the past five years.

When the grand revamp of the Macedonian capital was first announced back in 2010, the project, known as “Skopje 2014”, envisaged the construction of some 40 monuments, sculptures, facades and new buildings.

Fast forward to 2015 and the number of buildings and monuments has tripled.
The price tag of Skopje’s new look has meanwhile also shot up, far surpassing the initially announced figure of €80 million, to around €560 million, a BIRN investigation shows.

The eight-month  investigation draws on data procured through the Access to Public Information Act, the official web page of the Public Procurement Bureau, the “Skopje 2014” audit and a joint report by the government, the Skopje municipality of Centar and the Ministry of Culture, presented after the 2013 local elections.

The “Skopje 2014 Uncovered” database documents and maps works built or under construction  with the official contracts, authors’ fees, annexes and statistics on most contracted builders, sculptors, architects and foundries that participated in the project. As of July 26, this data is available to the public in Macedonian language. An English version will be available soon. An official launch and promotion event will be held in September.

The online database is available at: http://skopje2014.prizma.birn.eu.com/

More details on the investigation and the results are available here.

Film “The Unidentified”

The Unidentified, a documentary about the Serbian commanders responsible for attacks near the town of Pec during the Kosovo War premiered in 2015.

The feature-length documentary reveals the untold story of the brutal atrocities committed during the 1999 war, told from the perspective of the victims and of the commanders who ordered the attacks.

During their campaign in Kosovo, Serbian forces committed some of their worst crimes in the town of Pec and its surrounding villages. Women, children, and the elderly were driven out of their homes, while men were murdered in cold blood and their bodies were burned or buried in mass graves.

Many of the commanders who ordered the attacks currently live free in Belgrade. “The Unidentified” names these officers and poses anew the question of whether, nearly two decades after the war, justice can finally be done.

Writing for The New York Review of Books, Tim Judah called “the Unidentified” an “extraordinary film” and praised  its inclusion of the first-hand account of Zoran Raskovic, one of the perpetrators of the attacks.

The film won the “best short documentary” award at the South East European Film Festival in 2016. It was screened at seven film festivals in 2016, and at 10 debates and lectures. The film has reached an estimated one million people via its broadcasts on Al Jazeera Balkans. It has been reviewed or featured in publications including Radio Free Europe, Voice of America and Aljazeera Balkans.

Reporting Corruption on Broadcast and Print Media: The Case of Albania

The media monitoring study assesses Albanian media reporting on corruption, as well as its adherence to the guiding principles of journalism which make it possible for news organizations to be an effective tool against corruption.

The objective of the study is to present and interpret a summary of the general characteristics as well as the quality and reliability of the reporting of Albanian media on issues and cases of corruption, based on a set of quantitative indicators, in order to identify possible problems and shortfalls in the implementation of journalistic standards.

The findings of this monitoring initiative are intended to be used as reference material to assist the various local and international actors involved in media development in Albania, local journalists’ unions, as well as reporters and editors, in undertaking projects and activities that could eventually increase both the quantity and the quality of reporting on corruption, impunity and efficiency of anti-corruption initiatives.

To download a copy of the report in Albanian click here.

To download a copy of the report in English click here.

Follow the Paper Trail

Follow the Paper Trail, a guide to document-based journalism in Kosovo, explains relevant laws, access to public documents, how to publish safely, where to find databases on investigative journalism, and how to locate documents online through various search engines.

Download the Guide: English
| Albanian

FollowFor those wanting to uncover wrongdoing, knowing how to follow the paper trail is crucial, and this means a strong grasp of relevant media laws, a host of web-based skills and the ability to manage large quantities of documents.

Journalists must know how to prize documents from secretive institutions using ,Right to Know” laws but also find key reports which are already in the public do-main, many online. An in-depth knowledge of Google and other online search tools is also essential.

Reporters who cannot follow the paper trail across borders will soon find they are hitting brick walls in their quest for truth.

Spotlight on Mladic: Villian or Celebrity?

The publication brings an overview of the coverage of the arrest and the beginning of the trial of Ratko Mladic, who is charged with genocide and other crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Balkan media.

The monitoring and analysis encompassed the highest-circulation dailies and weeklies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia.

Languages: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS) and English

Pursuit for Justice: Guide to the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of BiH vol.I

Pursuit for Justice explains the main differences between the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of BiH.

It provides the reader with an overview of the Bosnian court’s mandate, major functions, and structure.

The guide covers topics such as the transfer of cases from the ICTY to the Prosecutor’s Office in BiH and amendments to the criminal procedure, and aims to inform the public, government representatives, and civil society organisations about the way war crime cases are handled before the Court of BiH.

Languages: Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian (BSC) and English

Pursuit for Justice: Guide to the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of BiH vol.II

The second volume of Pursuit for Justice analyses key legal documents that regulate the processing of war crimes cases by the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH.

This volume places particular attention on the methods used to deal with the war’s legacy.

It also lists other institutions in the country that are involved in transitional justice matters, and introduces Justice Report, a specialized news agency of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of BiH that reports from the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of BiH.

Languages: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BSC) and English

Download the guide as a PDF file in English

History Overshadowed by Trivia: Regional Media Coverage of the Radovan Karadzic Arrest

History Overshadowed by Trivia focuses on media reports on the arrest of Radovan Karadzic in five countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia.

The media analysis covered the first two weeks of reporting on the arrest, and showed that deep territorial, national and ideological divisions remained in the region’s media landscape.

The findings discuss the lack of investigative reporting in the media, misrepresentation of facts, as well as the presence of sensationalist and political propaganda.

Languages: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS) and English

History Over Trivia II: Regional and International Media Coverage of the First Year of the Radovan Karadizc Trial

For the production of the second volume of History over Trivia, BIRN BiH analysed one thousand articles published during the first year of the Radovan Karadzic trial.

The media interest, bias, and style of reporting were among the main things monitored in the reports.

The study included articles from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia as well as the major news outlets based

in Europe, USA, and Asia. The publication also features an exclusive Justice Report interview with Radovan Karadzic.

Languages: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS) and English Language

 

Time for Truth: Review of the Work of the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2005-2010

Time for Truth provides the first complete summary of all ongoing and closed cases at the Court of BiH and the Appellate Court from 2005 – 2010.

The publication presents information about indictees, brief descriptions of the criminal act(s) cited in the indictment or sentence, and profiles of those still at large.

Special attention was given to the wording of final verdicts issued by the court because the verdicts contain facts of historical value.

Languages: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS) and English

Download the report as a PDF file in English