BIRN Hub News and Events

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network has sent a letter to the Albanian Prime Minister expressing concern over a assault on Besar Likmeta, Balkan Insight’s editor in Albania. Numerous international media organisations, embassies and international organisations that monitor freedom of press violations were also notified of the incident.

Entry to the competition for the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence closed on February 29, 2008. We have received total of 64 eligible applications.

BIRN Romania on December 13 launched the book “Moving on: Overcoming Barriers to a European Future” at the Center for Independent Journalism in Bucharest.

The first in a series of presentations of the publication – Moving On: Overcoming Barriers to a European Future – was held in Belgrade on Wednesday in the presence of representatives of the media, NGOs, international and governmental organizations.

A series of articles recently produced by ten journalists participating in this year’s Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence, highlighting the need for better movement of people, goods and ideas in the Balkans, is to be launched over the next two weeks in capital cities throughout the region.

Nikoleta Popkostadinova, 24, has won the first Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence award for her article on Roma employment.

A series of reports by group of journalists from Southeast Europe was launched today, highlighting the need for better movement of people, goods and ideas to expedite development of the Balkan region and its European integration.

Ten journalists participating in the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence travelled to Berlin on November 13 to present the results of individual research and writing projects carried out as part of the 2007 programme.

Davor Konjikusic, one of the ten journalists engaged in this year’s Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence participated in a panel discussion on Friday, July 13, at Novi Sad’s Exit Festival. The debate, which addressed issues such as student travel in EU and the Western Balkans and the availability of EU educational programmes for Balkan countries applying for EU membership, was organised by the Citizens’ Pact for Southeast Europe, EXIT and the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe.

Research on aspects of Balkan mobility, conducted by ten journalists participating in the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence, can be tracked via a new blog section on the programme’s website. As the fellows report at home and abroad, they are to write about their experiences and impressions on their individual pages, posting also photographs and short films. Journalists interested in applying in future years for the Fellowship should find these accounts particularly interesting and informative.

The first seminar for ten journalists selected for 2007’s Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence was held from 27-31 May in Vienna.

Ten journalists selected for 2007’s Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence will be introduced to the programme next week at a seminar in Vienna. The event, organised by the Erste Foundation and hosted by the Fellowship’s Austrian media partner, Der Standard, runs from 27-31 May.

The Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence was awarded on May 14 to ten journalists from around Southeast Europe, following their selection from over 80 applications received.

Journalists selected to participate in the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence will benefit from the involvement of two leading European newspapers in the programme.

A committee has been appointed to judge applications for the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence and select up to ten journalists to participate in the 2007 programme. Later this year, based on the results of fellows’ research and reporting activities, it will make one journalist a special award to allow further professional development.