Tag: BIRN HUB

Media Innovation Europe: Balkan and Visegrad journalists Trained in Audience Engagement

Journalists from ten media outlets learned how to engage their audience using BIRN’s digital platform.

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) successfully concluded a dynamic four-day online training in audience-engaged journalism on December 8.

The training, which started in October and spanned several sessions, brought together 30 journalists from Balkan and Visegrad countries. Facilitated by Ariana Tobin, ProPublica’s engagement editor, in collaboration with Balkan Insight journalists and mentors, the program was designed to enhance engagement journalism skills for participants representing ten selected media outlets.

These media outlets, recipients of BIRN’s Audience Engaged Journalism Grants, were: Mjedisi.al (Albania), Elbasanion (Albania), Samizdat (Czech Republic), Koha (North Macedonia), Zoomer (Serbia), Radio Zos (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Radio Kiss (Serbia), Enigma Newspaper (Kosovo), Fokus (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Zenit (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The training aimed to bring innovation into newsrooms, foster community engagement and facilitate the development of investigative stories using BIRN’s audience-engaged tool. This digital platform, purpose-built for audience engagement, formed a core part of the program. Crucially, the audience-engaged tool serves as a guide for journalists to receive valuable information offered by their audiences, allowing them to include the public in their reporting and crowdsource data for investigative stories.

Throughout the course, Tobin posed fundamental questions for journalists who want to create engagement stories, emphasising considerations such as community impact, stakeholder identification, outreach strategies, potential collaborators, content planning, and sustaining audience engagement. The participants, guided by experienced Balkan Insight trainers, acquired practical skills in creating audience callouts and interpreting results using the audience-engaged tool.

The training emphasised the importance of audience research, effective callout design and promotion, data verification, and the creation of compelling final products. More than a technical skill, engagement journalism revolves around building trust and fostering two-way communication between journalists and the communities they serve.

Audience Engaged Journalism Grants are part of the Media Innovation Europe (MIE) project, funded by the European Commission. The programme is run by the International Press Institute, the Thomson Foundation, the Media Development Foundation and BIRN and is intended to empower media outlets as they navigate the digital transition, giving them journalistic tools and skills in diverse products and business structures. In the course of a two-year programme, BIRN has organised two training sessions for journalists as part of the Audience-Engaged Grants programme.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commision. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

SEE Digital Rights Network Members’ Joint Statement: Time to Meet Challenge of Digital Rights Abuse

As digital rights violations increase – and take on new forms – political decision makers in the region are urged to step up and counter an array of alarming trends.

Members of the Southeast Europe Digital Rights Network [SEE Digital Rights Network] met in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 6 to discuss critical issues related to digital rights in Southeast Europe. The discussion followed the BIRN annual report on digital rights on December 5, 2023.

The report found an increase in the number of cases registered in the BIRN database compared to the last reporting period. The total number of documented digital violations rose from 782 to 1,427, underscoring how challenges in the digital sphere have also increased.

According to BIRN’s report, hate speech and discrimination, digital manipulation, and computer fraud were the most common categories of digital rights violations.

Domestic political developments, regional and international tensions significantly contributed to the increase in rights violations in the digital sphere. Elections and intense societal polarization shaped the digital landscape in Bosnia, Montenegro, Turkey and Hungary, which underwent turbulent elections throughout the year.

Regional and international crises, such as the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia and Russia’s war against Ukraine, fueled digital rights violations in the region, which is susceptible to malign influences. Such an environment allowed online hate speech and discriminatory rhetoric to flourish across the region, especially against vulnerable groups, including the LGBT community, women and ethnic minorities. Monitoring detected a worrying number of cases of gender-based violence in the digital space – from the illegal distribution of pornographic material to the streaming of femicide in Bosnia.

In Serbia, cases of mass shootings also provoked numerous violations, such as the publication of private information, violations of minors’ rights and dissemination of fake news.

A new trend that emerged this year was the use of artificial intelligence to create deep fakes and generate fake news.

The BIRN report further highlighted that governments in Albania, Hungary, Serbia and Turkey continued to abuse digital rights, using various tactics and methods, including takeovers of independent outlets by pro-government businesspeople, paid online propagandists, intervention by government agencies and court actions.

Such governments often used legislation to increase their control over the internet and impose censorship, causing concern among rights groups. Worryingly, these governments’ actions carry the risk of being a role model for other governments in the region. BIRN’s monitoring efforts showed that almost all the countries monitored are preparing new legislation to counter digital threats, particularly disinformation campaigns.

Journalists and online media continue to be the major victims of digital rights violations in the countries monitored, where existing legislation offers little or no protection for journalists who face digital violence. Critical infrastructure in most countries that BIRN monitors remains weak and has proved an inadequate defense against cyberattacks. In seven of the monitored countries, government agencies and services were repeatedly targeted by cyber attackers throughout the reporting period. In seven countries, citizens’ private data was reportedly leaked due to cyberattacks, scams, and phishing activities, mismanagement by the relevant authorities.

Under these circumstances, technological advancements such as the rapid development of artificial intelligence, which carry significant security and digital rights abuse risks, present serious challenges in the coming years.

In light of these alarming findings, the undersigned SEE Digital Rights Network members urge decision makers in the SEE countries to step up their efforts in protecting and advancing digital rights as per the following recommendations:

  1. Enhance the cybersecurity infrastructure of public institutions by implementing strict cybersecurity regulations and increasing investment in robust cybersecurity technologies and developing institutional capacity for effective response and prevention of digital rights violations, including phishing, scamming and data breaches.
  2. Strengthen personal data protection measures in public institutions to safeguard individual privacy and sensitive information and implement strict regulations and guidelines for the handling and storage of personal data by both private and public entities.
  3. Enter into dialogue with relevant stakeholders such as civil society, the media, digital rights and disinformation experts, academia and the private sector, to create a unified regional approach to effective transposition of the regulatory, co-regulatory and self-regulatory mechanisms developed at the EU level to ensure accountability of very large online platforms (DSA, DMA, MFA, CoP) in the region – as well as facilitate a unified and simultaneous entry of the region into the EU digital single market.
  4. Promote and protect media freedom and freedom of expression and invest in and promote media and information literacy, including educational activities, media and information strategies and public awareness campaigns. Support independent and professional media and ensure transparency of media ownership and media financing from public budgets.
  5. Pay close attention that any solutions aimed to ensure online safety, security and information integrity do not go against, or are implemented at the expense of, media freedoms and freedom of expression.
  6. Introduce, safeguard and promote democratic standards in the creation and execution of tech legislation. This involves ensuring open, participatory legislative processes, along with consistent monitoring and evaluation. Guarantee non-selective implementation of tech laws, ensuring transparency and accountability.
  7. Improve law enforcement’s ability to address digital rights issues by enhancing infrastructure, resources and capabilities. Implement training programs and protocols for registering, investigating and reporting digital rights violations. Establish efficient mechanisms to safeguard citizens’ digital rights and ensure a safe online environment.
  8. Address digital surveillance – refrain from introducing institutional practices and policies violating human rights and freedom of speech.
  9. Develop strategic, long-term policies and ensure adequate investments in education across all levels, focusing on equipping future generations with essential knowledge and skills in these critical areas. Embed and integrate comprehensive digital literacy, media, and information literacy, alongside cybersecurity and digital rights education, into national curricula across all educational levels.
  10. A data-driven approach to inform evidence-based response and policymaking – invest in building comprehensive data collection systems regarding digital rights violations and targeted groups, providing disaggregation based on age, gender, belonging to a minority group and other relevant characteristics of the data subjects, as well as information on motives of the attacks, to allow for research, and analysis.
  11. Strengthen legislation and its implementation to rigorously protect vulnerable groups from online discrimination, hate speech, cyber violence, privacy breaches and disinformation. Foster an inclusive digital environment by actively promoting policies and practices safeguarding these groups and ensuring equitable access to digital infrastructure, resources, and protections.

SEE Digital Rights Network is a coalition of more than 30 civil society and media organisations. Following undersigned members of the network issued the joint statement:

BIRN Network

NGO Atina

YIHR KS

YIHR Serbia

Committee for human rights Nis

Center for Youth KVART

Danes je nov dan, Inštitut za druga vprašanja

Institute for Democracy and Mediation

Homo Digitalis

IPKO Foundation

Metamorphosis

Foundation for Internet and Society

Sarajevo Open Centre

Media Development Centre Skopje

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)

Da se zna!

IMPETUS

BIRN BiH Assistant Editor Wins Srdjan Aleksic Award

Haris Rovcanin won this year’s regional award in the ‘Contribution to the Community’ category for his work on the Database of Judicially Established Facts about the War in Bosnia.

The jury for the award found that Haris Rovcanin’s work “exceeds the usual scope of journalistic work”.

“He has made the Database of Judicially Established Facts about the War in BiH extremely educational, viewable and alive, adjusting it to the visual sensibility of young generations,” the jury wrote in its explanation.

It added  that, “in societies burdened with nationalism, his work represents a huge and permanent contribution to combating the manipulation of the war past”.

Rovcanin said he felt honoured that the five-member jury of this year’s Srdjan Aleksic Regional Award had selected him.

“The work on the Database of Judicially Established Facts represents a huge and permanent contribution to combating the manipulation of the war past,” he said.

“Among other things, the Database was created with an idea to finally put an end to manipulations of the war and court verdicts dealing with the subject, relativization of the past and using only the parts suitable at a certain moment, while denying the others,” he added.

“The award means a lot to me because a lot of effort has been invested in it, alongside months of work and, particularly, attempts to find ways to adjust it to young people, so they too find it useful,” Rovcanin continued.

He also said the award will be an additional incentive to his future work.

The Database of Judicially Determined Facts is a project of BIRN BiH supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund, aimed at creating fact-based sources of information, which can be used for educational and informational purposes, thus contributing to combating disinformation and to improving media literacy.

BIRN BiH previously donated the content of the Database to the Memorial Fund of Sarajevo Canton public institution, for educational and scientific-investigative purposes, as well as for the establishment of a museum of suffering, also signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Tuzla Canton, which covers use of the Database in the teaching process as material in history classes.

In October, Rovcanin and Melisa Foric-Plasto gave training to history teachers from Sarajevo on the use of the Database in classes, based on a cooperation agreement with the Institute for Development of Pre-University Education of Sarajevo Canton.

Rovcanin previously won second prize in the Fetisov International Award in 2021 in the “Outstanding Contribution to Peace” category for a series of four articles.

He was a part of BIRN BiH’s team, which in 2020 won a special European Press Prize for “effort and success in ensuring justice for war crimes victims”, for longstanding professional and continuous reporting on most sensitive topics.

Besides Rovcanin, this year’s award winners also include KRIK journalist from Belgrade Bojana Jovanovic in the category “For Courage”, and Portal Novosti in the category “For the Media”.

This year, the jury consisted of Ana Hegedis Lalic from Serbia, Slavica Lukic and Boris Pavelic from Croatia, Vladan Micunovic from Montenegro and Borislav Kontic from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The award is given for a professional and continuous reporting on marginalized and vulnerable groups in Bosnian society and for development of socially responsible journalism.

This year’s awards ceremony is organised by the Helsinki Parliament of Citizens Banja Luka, Peace Building Network, Independent Society of Journalists of Vojvodina, Media Institute of Montenegro and Association for Promotion of Medica Culture, Art and Tolerance – Lupiga – “the world seen through the common eyes”, from Croatia.

The award ceremony will take place in Banja Luka on the International Day of Human Rights, December 10, as part of the Days of Srdjan Aleksic events.

Kosovo Remains Vulnerable to Disinformation, BIRN Report Concludes

In the absence of sustainable funding, limited human resources, unclear editorial policies and external influences, in some instances, the media became creators and amplifiers of disinformation, a BIRN Kosova report on disinformation concludes.

The report “Story of our lies” which was published on Monday in Pristina has noted that Kosovo remains vulnerable to different to inside and outside disinformation as institutions and other stakeholders have not been able to establish mechanisms that monitor the dissemination of disinformation, whereas judicial institutions have been unable to handle these types of cases.

“The Disinformation Report has mapped various forms of disinformation in Kosovo, whose main aim is to change the course of Kosovo towards the Euro-Atlantic Integration and to deepen further the existing barriers between communities in Kosovo,” Jeta Xharra, the Executive Director of BIRN Kosova said.

Report shows that social media and internet platforms which specialize in fictitious news remain the key disseminators of disinformation, however, in some cases, even traditional, professional media have been guilty. This report also lists a lack of media literacy programmes and the capacity of the education system to deliver media education as the key challenges for the future.

“At times, unprofessional media outlets can contribute to the disinformation, this is why the citizens should make the distinction between fake and verified news while the Institutions should contribute to this by incorporating media education in school curricula,” Imer Mushkolaj, head of self-regulatory body Kosovo Press Council, said.

The report emphasized the presence of Russian influence and propaganda as evident especially since the war in Ukraine started.

“The risks of disinformation have become even clearer in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, we must work tirelessly to safeguard professional journalism and promote the values of transparency, accountability, and truth,” the Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said in the launching ceremony.

“Russian propaganda was notably present in Kosovo and this led to the banning of the media who were influenced by it. It is IMC responsibility to ban media which are a risk to national security,” Head of Board of Independent Media Commission, IMC, Jeton Mehmeti said.

The report focuses also on the narratives and misinformation that undermine security, undermine trust in the West and worsen inter-ethnic relations.

“The most vulnerable community on the sphere of the misinformation  in Kosovo continues to be the Serbian community in Kosovo, this due to the fact that disinformation in Serbian language is being widely spread across the Balkan,” Pajtim Gashi, Program Director at National Democratic Institute, said.

“It is important that Kosovo media editors know how to make the difference between the regime in Belgrade and Kosovo Serbs, since them are fellow citizens of the people living in Kosovo and thus prejudices need to be avoided,” Branislav Krstic, a journalist based in Mitrovica North, said.

“Disinformation regarding the Inter-ethnic relations can lead to inter-ethnic tensions, or in the worst case: inter-ethnic conflict… Propaganda is part of the political fight. Media in Kosovo have learned the lesson on what happened in 2004,” Lulzim Peci, the Executive Director of KIPRED, said.

The report offers recommendations to Kosovo authorities and other stakeholders, including media regulatory and self-regulatory bodies on how to work in order to build the necessary capacities to identify sources of disinformation and adequately address them.

This conference was attended by 90 participants, including 39 women representatives of civil society, institutions, journalists and others.

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

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

To download a copy of the report in Serbian, click here.

Meet the People Behind BIRN: Edit Inotai

Edit Inotai is a Reporting Democracy Hungary correspondent. Based in Budapest, she reports about Hungary for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.

For almost 30 years, she’s been working as a foreign affairs journalist. Edit would probably be working as a researcher, doing foreign policy analysis, or a diplomat if she wasn’t working as a journalist. Find out what’s reporting about Hungarian politics like and what manual skills would Edit like to know.

Let’s meet her!

  1. Why did you become a journalist and decide to work for an investigative media like Balkan Insight?

I have been working as a foreign affairs journalist all my adult life which is almost 30 years now. I think this is the most fascinating profession because you can ask all the questions you ever wanted, and a highly versatile one as you can cover a variety of issues and end up meeting very different people. In 2020, I was approached by BIRN editor Timothy Large who was setting up a Central European (Reporting Democracy) branch of Balkan Insight. Working for Balkan Insight gives me  a unique  opportunity to do more in-depth analysis and research, rather than simple news reporting. I also enjoy working in a team with excellent colleagues with whom we can do some cross-border stories – perhaps even more in the future.

  1. What characterizes a responsible journalist today? How far on a global level has journalism gone from its principles?

Being a responsible journalist means doing your homework: researching, investigating, talking and listening to people from different social, cultural or political backgrounds. Get out of your bubble or echo chamber, maintain genuine curiosity, don’t fall for conspiracy theories, talk to people without prejudice and avoid labelling. I’m afraid that in today’s fast-paced media environment, when clickbait stories infect even serious media, many journalists simply don’t have the time and patience for this, and I see a worrying tendency for many journalists to have a political agenda. We certainly have our political beliefs, but don’t let them interfere with your profession.

  1. Do you have a story you worked on for Balkan Insight that you feel especially proud of?

I have done a lot of stories for Balkan Insight, perhaps the best ones are the more analytical pieces like the one about how the Orban- government tries to revive the heritage of Hungary’s autocrat Miklos Horthy, or a more recent one how Fidesz is trying to take over universities, which I believe was the first coverage in international media.

  1. What was the most challenging thing in your career so far?

The most challenging thing is working in Hungary, reporting about Hungarian politics (which I  always wanted to avoid) in an environment when you usually do not receive any answers from policy makers and are ignored by the government.

  1. What are your impressions of the recent Budapest forum, where you participated last month as a moderator?

Budapest Forum is great conference bringing together world-class thinkers and practitioners from all around  the world discussing mostly democracy-related questions. The best part of this year’s conference was probably the keynote address of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, who talked about the erosion of the middle classes and how this leads to the surge of populism. She also warned that authoritarian political regimes always try to control what can be said but literature and other forms of art usually find a way to express themselves.

  1. What would you be working on instead of journalism and media?

I would probably be a researcher, doing foreign policy analysis or a diplomat. It would be great to have some manual skills like painting, interior deco or cooking but it seems – much to my family’s regret – I am not blessed with these talents.

BIRN Albania Publishes Manual on Environmental Advocacy in Albania

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania has published a manual on environmental advocacy for activists in the country.

The manual was written by Mihallaq Qirjo, a professor of ecology at Tirana University and environmentalist. It aims to empower civil society actors to raise their voices and to take on important environmental causes on behalf of communities across the country.

The manual’s contents are intended to raise awareness of the need for active participation, better governance and improvements in the management of natural resources in Albania. It is also intended to boost collaboration between civil society organisations, public authorities, local communities and the media over the long term in order to create partnerships that secure sustainable development.

The publication of the manual was financially supported by Sweden and the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program of the US Embassy in Tirana as part of the project ‘Building Resilience through Environmental Journalism’.

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

BIRN Albania Publishes Handbook for Journalists Reporting on the Environment

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania has published a new handbook for journalists in the country on how to report on environment and climate change.

The manual was written by Lawrence Marzouk, a journalist, editor and trainer with almost 20 years’ experience in investigative reporting, and Mihallaq Qirjo, a professor of ecology at Tirana University and environmental activist. The publication was edited by Alken Myftiu, an expert on climate change, renewable and clean energy policies and environmental Issues.

The manual aims to provide journalists with a better understanding of climate change and looming environmental crises, as well as explaining the legal and financial situation in Albania as regards environmental issues and the country’s path towards harmonisation with EU standards.

It also provides Albanian journalists with the latest practical, cutting-edge tools to investigate and report on the subject, while suggesting useful open sources of information.

The publication of the manual was supported financially by Sweden and the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program of the US Embassy in Tirana as part of the project ‘Building Resilience Through Environmental Journalism’.

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

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

BIRN Macedonia Holds Second Training for Young Journalists

The second training in a year-long series of trainings for a dozen young journalists took place on November 24-26 in Veles, North Macedonia.

The aim is to empower participants with essential journalistic skills, focusing on sourcing, interviewing techniques and effective information gathering. The training also covered the significance of documents, planning and structuring research, as well as story-pitching to editors.

The entire training was designed to simulate a newsroom and show trainees how journalists find, identify and research stories.

Trainees were divided into groups to research different topics to find a story, online and in the field, learned how to find sources for their story (both human and data, documents), how to perform customized search and how to navigate their way through various open databases.

They learned also how to assess source reliability through case studies and did practical exercises, such as simulated interviews. Under the guidance of the trainers, they conducted local field and online research, defined their story hypothesis, and identified sources and necessary documents.

Participants received a practical crash course how to use open datasets and were shown various tips and tricks on where to find useful data (from local institutions to international organizations, CSOs, etc), how to map read Google satellite imagery and find their way in land registries and other databases.

A dedicated session highlighted the significance of the Freedom of Information Act, providing participants with insights on how to access government records and documents. The practical exercise guided them through the legal procedures required to obtain necessary information from government and other institutions.

The trainees were invited to submit story proposals and prepare a story that would be published by BIRN, with support and guidance of BIRN mentors in the coming period. The next training is set to take place in February 2024.

 

BIRN publishes Report on Labour Rights in Kosovo’s Private Sector

On November 24, BIRN held a conference for the launch of the report titled “Management of Workers without Procedures”.

Working conditions and violation of labour rights continues to be a challenge for the labour market in Kosovo. The number of accidents in the workplace in Kosovo is high and the level of implementation of labour rights is poor.

From the beginning of 2023, BIRN Kosovo collected data from businesses and workers in Kosovo in order to analyze implementation of the Labour law, including compliance with the requirements on contractual agreements, employment regulations, employment of persons with disabilities and knowledge of safety rules at work, among others.

Findings from the report show that, from 2016 until June 2023, there were 1,072 accidents in the workplace; 102 employees died as a result.

In the first six months of 2023, Kosovo’s Trade Inspectorate inspected over 23, 524 employees. Findings of this inspection showed that about 20 per cent of these employees were working without health certificates and 5 per cent were working without employment contracts.  This report also found that a high percentage of businesses do not fulfill the minimum standards for the legal guarantee and implementation of safety and insurance rights in the workplace.

The findings of the report were discussed by a panel including different actors from public institutions.

The panel was moderated by Kreshnik Gashi, managing editor of KALLXO.com. Panelists included: Avni Zogiani, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers;

Mimoza Kusari Lila, Head of the Vetevendosje Parliamentary Group; Naim Hajra, Deputy Chief Inspector in the Trade Inspectorate; Brahim Selimaj, Chairman of the Association of Builders of Prishtina; and Nalan Malësia, of the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo.

Kreshnik Gashi stated that findings show businesses need to improve regulations and procedures to create a better and safer working environment. Advancing regulations that emphasize security and safety within the structure of businesses will improve the fight against people dying of accidents at workplaces, he said.

The report is published as part of the project “Protection and Promotion of the Labour Rights of Vulnerable Groups in the Labour Market” financed by the European Union in Kosovo. It aims to improve the working conditions for vulnerable categories of workers, especially within the private sector, including health and safety in the workplace for women and men, through the promotion of social dialogue between workers and duty bearers.

The overall report can be found at these links:

English

Albanian

Serbian

BIRN to Hold Digital Rights Conference in Sarajevo

BIRN’s Digital Rights Annual Conference 2023 is taking place on December 5-6 in Sarajevo – and may be joined online through live streaming. Experts will discuss the challenges of digital rights in our increasingly connected world, focusing on the Balkans and South East Europe.

The BIRN Digital Rights Annual Conference 2023 will begin on December 5 with opening remarks from Diedon Nixha, Reporting Digital Rights & Freedoms Project Manager at BIRN Kosovo. This will set the stage for a day filled with insightful presentations and discussions.

Everyone can follow and participate in the panels and discussions on the first day of the conference through live streaming: Join us online by registering to follow and participate in the conference live.

In the first session, Ivana Jeremic, journalist and an editor at Balkan Insight, will present main findings from BIRN’s 2022-2023 Digital Rights Violations Annual Report. This covers the state of digital rights in ten countries in which BIRN continuously monitors digital rights violations: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey.

The day will feature several panel discussions: The first one, moderated by Ivana Jeremic, will explore the major trends and underlying factors of digital rights violations. Panelists include: Hamdi Firat Buyuk, journalist and Turkey correspondent at Balkan Insight; Aida Trepanic of BIRN BiH, BIRN’s digital rights monitor for BiH; Nensi Bogdani of BIRN Albania, BIRN’s digital rights monitor for Albania; and Tijana Uzelac of BIRN Serbia, BIRN’s digital rights monitor for Serbia.

The next panel will discuss the political and social influences on the rise in digital rights violations across the Balkan and Southeast Europe. Hamdi Firat Buyuk will moderate this session, with panelists: Leila Bicakcic, Director of the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN); Megi Reci, Researcher, Institute for Democracy and Mediation; and Maida Culahovic, Head of the Department for Program Content and Analysis at the Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the afternoon sessions, the focus will shift to youth and digital rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Anes Cerkez of Civitas BiH, author of the research paper “Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Youth Online: Victims and Perpetrators of Digital Rights Violations,” will moderate a panel including: Azem Kurtic, journalist at Balkan Insight and BIRN’s digital rights monitor for BiH; Anida Sokol, Researcher and Project Coordinator at Mediacentar; Ahmed Kosovac, Council Member of the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo; and Slobodan Blagovcanin, Project Manager, Omladinski Resursni Centar Tuzla and Citizens Against Terrorism (CAT) Initiative.

On the second day, December 6, the conference will host the first regional meeting of Southeast Europe Digital Rights Network [SEE Digital Rights Network] members, an informal network of more than 35 organisations established by BIRN and SHARE Foundation.

Discussions will begin with a panel on the digital rights landscapes in the Balkans and Southeast Europe, moderated by Milos Ciric, BIRN Digital Rights Programme Manager. Panelists will include: Orkidea Xhaferaj, a Digital and Innovation Policy Expert, from SciDev in Albania; Rasid Krupalija, from Zasto ne, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Donika Elshani, a Researcher at KCSS in Kosovo; Dejan Georgievski, Programme Coordinator at Macedonia Media Development Center in North Macedonia; and Ana Martinović, of Serbia’s SHARE Foundation.

The day will continue with sessions dedicated to SEE Digital Rights Network and will be focused on creating a joint statement on the state of digital rights in the Balkans, moderated by Melisa Gazdic, with participation from all SEE Digital Rights Network Members’ Representatives.

The conference will conclude with a workshop to outline the SEE Digital Rights Network’s priorities for 2024, again led by Melisa Gazdic.

Join us online by registering to follow and participate in the conference live.

 This event is co-funded by the European Union and was also made possible through support from the UN Democracy Fund.