BIRN Serbia Programmes

Programmes

Digital Rights Action: Enabling Free Flow of Information and Media Integrity

Digital Rights Action: Enabling Free Flow of Information and Media Integrity

BIRN Serbia The main goal of the project is to contribute to creating an enabling online environment for the free flow of information, in line with the standards of digital rights and media freedoms.
Are the Public Budgets Misused? Monitoring of State Financing Media Projects

Are the Public Budgets Misused? Monitoring of State Financing Media Projects

BIRN Serbia Non-transparent, uncontrolled, and arbitrary allocation of state funds is recognised as one of the most efficient mechanisms of ’soft-censorship’ harming media economic sustainability and, consequently, its independence.
COVID-19 in Serbia: Information Resilience

COVID-19 in Serbia: Information Resilience

BIRN Serbia In the current situation, there is a great demand for punctual, accurate and objective information among citizens. The crisis disclosed the negative impact of disinformation and its influence on spreading panic among citizens.
Under the Spotlight: Capital Investments Projects in Serbia

Under the Spotlight: Capital Investments Projects in Serbia

BIRN Serbia Promoting institutional transparency and accountability through investigative reporting.
Where is the Place of Media in New Internet Governance Policies?

Where is the Place of Media in New Internet Governance Policies?

BIRN Serbia Raising involvement of the media industry in a public debate on new development policies and internet governance issues.
Civil Society Advocates: Through Partnership Towards Democratic Development in Serbia

Civil Society Advocates: Through Partnership Towards Democratic Development in Serbia

BIRN Serbia The project aims to strengthen a participatory culture in Serbia and empower civil society groups to get people more involved in advocacy work.
Under the Spotlight: Criminal Justice in Serbia

Under the Spotlight: Criminal Justice in Serbia

BIRN Serbia Promotion of judicial transparency and accountability through investigative reporting.
Digital Media Action

Digital Media Action

BIRN Serbia The overall objective is to reinforce the role of media in democratic processes in Serbia by enhancing the reach and impact of quality, public-interest oriented journalism that strives to make government more accountable to citizens

Past Programmes

Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) – database update

Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) – database update

BIRN Serbia
BIRN Serbia is conducting media ownership monitoring for the second time in order to reveal relevant trends in ownership concentration, enabling the public to make more educated choices as media consumers.
Corrupting the Birth Rates

Corrupting the Birth Rates

BIRN Serbia
A new law on financial support to families with children (which was adopted in 2017 and came into force in 2018) has been creating confusion among citizens of Serbia.
Public Money for Public Interest - Measuring Index of Transparency of Public Money in the Media

Public Money for Public Interest – Measuring Index of Transparency of Public Money in the Media

BIRN Serbia
Through this project, BIRN will encourage the participation of civil society in the process of increasing transparency of public spending for media.
Sports Bag without Bottom: Research on Budgetary Spending in Sport

Sports Bag without Bottom: Research on Budgetary Spending in Sport

BIRN Serbia – past programme
Since 2009 under the umbrella of “Eye on Public Finances” programme, BIRN Serbia is conducting several projects related to public spending and monitoring of transparency of public finances.
Enhancing Media Independence through Development of Sustainable and Competitive Financing Model

Enhancing Media Independence through Development of Sustainable and Competitive Financing Model

BIRN Serbia – past programme
Proposed project works towards development of non-discriminatory, consistent and transparent model for financing media production in order to enable citizens to exercise their right to complete, timely and objective information.
Transparent, Effective and Accountable Spending of Public Finances in Media Sector

Transparent, Effective and Accountable Spending of Public Finances in Media Sector

BIRN Serbia – past programme
Most of public funds that reach Serbia’s media are distributed arbitrarily and in a nontransparent manner, without clear and measurable criteria, public procedures, or controls. The most prominent forms of state intervention in the media sector are instrumental in translating financial power of state bodies and organizations into political influence on media content. They effectively function as indirect, soft censorship. Due to a poorly regulated media system, full knowledge of the manner and extent of state funding to various media outlets is unknown to the public. There are no reliable data on either the total amount of public money spent in the media industry, the sources and forms of funding, the purpose of such public spending, or its impact.
Open data for Open Government

Open data for Open Government

BIRN Serbia – past programme
The aim of the project is to empower Open Data concept in Serbia and to enable media, CSO and expert community to use hard facts related to public expenditures in innovative and value-added ways, reinforcing their watchdog role.
Serbian Government Performance Evaluation

Serbian Government Performance Evaluation

BIRN Serbia – past programme
Through its performance evaluation project, BIRN Serbia is working to establish an efficient and innovative watchdog tool for monitoring governments performance and accountability.
Participative Budgeting

Participative Budgeting

BIRN Serbia – past programme
BIRN Serbia is introducing participatory budgeting in 25 municipalities in south and south-west Serbia in an effort to encourage citizen participation in the government budgeting process.
Eye on Public Finances

Eye on Public Finances

BIRN Serbia
BIRN Serbia’s Eye on Public Finances programme aims to increase government transparency and accountability in the sphere of public finances by generating public demand and creating opportunities for constructive debate among stakeholders, and increasing citizen participation.
Social Audit in Education and Health

Social Audit in Education and Health

BIRN Serbia – past programme
As part of its programme to increase government transparency and accountability in the sphere of public finances, BIRN Serbia runs a social audit project.
Resource Centre

Resource Centre

BIRN Serbia – past programme
As part of its effort to increase government transparency and accountability in the sphere of public finances, BIRN Serbia has launched a resource center for journalists and state workers, as well as the general public.
National Budget Forum 2012

National Budget Forum 2012

BIRN Serbia – past programme
BIRN Serbia’s National Budget Forum aims to increase government transparency and accountability in the sphere of public finances through an annual forum on the country’s budget.
Make Your Own Budget Online Application

Make Your Own Budget Online Application

BIRN Serbia – past programme
BIRN Serbia is developing and promoting a Make Your Own Budget online application for the Serbian Parliament as part of its Eye on Public Finances programme.
Citizen's Budget

Citizen’s Budget

BIRN Serbia – past programme
BIRN Serbia’s Citizen’s Budget initiative aims to produce a guide to the Serbian budget for the country’s citizens. The BIRN team intends to make a link between revenue raised, expenditures, and outcomes in public services as part of an effort to increase efficiency and strengthen the accountability of the Serbian government’s budgeting process.