Improving Network’s Elements and Online Reporting on Kosovo Organ Trafficking, Macedonia Name Dispute and Crisis in Bosnia

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Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
May 2011 - May 2012

BIRN Hub – past programme

This project aims to raise the visibility of hot topics in the Balkans by creating three special focus pages on BalkanInsight.com that cover organ trafficking in Kosovo, the Macedonia name dispute and the ongoing political crisis in Bosnia.

Summary

In addition, the project aims to strengthen the editorial team in Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The creation of the focus pages allows the public to easily access information on some of the most pressing topics in the region. Through the project, BIRN journalists receive extensive on-the-job training that helps them produce high quality analytical and investigative reporting.

Their work appears as part of the daily news service provided by Balkan Insight, and their analysis and investigative reports are also published on the site.

BIRN has redesigned several templates for the new focus webpages in order to attract more visits. It is also actively offering articles to local media in the Balkans and working to ensure increasing numbers of republications (BIRN cooperates extensively with more than 100 media outlets in the region). BIRN also advertises its investigative reports through social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

This project impacts the local community by providing quality reporting on the most important issues in the countries covered by BIRN, and grouping that information on easy-to-use webpages.

By monitoring the organ trafficking investigation on its Kosovo focus page, BIRN can have a significant impact in creating political willingness to cooperate with investigators.

Meanwhile, BIRN's Macedonia focus page regularly publishes and republishes articles about the country's dispute with Greece over its name, which helps open the platform for those individuals and groups widely neglected and oppressed by the populist government.

The Bosnia focus page monitors the multi-ethnic tension on the governmental level in Bosnia, which can seriously affect the stability of the region.

The project is funded by the Balkan Trust for Democracy.

Information Sheet

Main Objective:

  • The main objective of the project is to raise visibility of hot topics in the Balkans by creating special focus pages that deal with key issues in the region

Specific Objectives:

  • To raise visibility of important topics in the Balkans through three special focus pages on www.balkainsight.com;
  • To strengthen editorial team in Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Main Activities:

Writing reports and publication

  • Creation of three new focus pages: Kosovo Organ Trafficking, Macedonia Name Dispute and Crisis in Bosnia that will allow public to have easy approach on the topics they are interested in;
  • On-the-job training for journalists which will secure highly skilled analytical and investigative reporting;
  • Publishing daily news;
  • Publishing analytical output on the web site.

Republication, Internet campaign and Commercialization

  • Redesigning several templates (new focus pages) for web site to attract more visits;
  • Activly offering articles to local media in the Balkans (BIRN has extensive cooperation with more than 100 media outlets in the region) and making sure that high number of republications will be secured;
  • Active advertisement of our investigative outputs through social networks (Facebook, twitter, etc.).

Target Groups:

Project impact on community, target group per focus page:

  • Kosovo Organ Trafficking – monitoring the procedures in future investigation into organ trafficking can have significant impact in creating political willingness to cooperate with investigators;
  • Macedonia Name Dispute – regularly publishing and republishing articles about Alexander the great drive in Macedonia would open platform for those widely neglected and oppressed by populist government;
  • Crisis in Bosnia – monitoring the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina with multi-ethnic tension on the governmental level, which can seriously damage the stability of the region.