Join us for a three-day workshop on the role of media and art in dealing with the past at the History Museum in Sarajevo.
Dates: December 2-5
Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Participants: up to 30 young people involved in activism, art or journalism (ages 18-30)
About the workshop
This interactive three-day workshop explores how media and art can become powerful tools for reconciliation and dealing with the past. Through carefully designed sessions, participants will gain practical knowledge and experience in the fields of intercultural reporting, storytelling and artistic activism (artivism), using creativity as a bridge for dialogue and understanding between communities.
The workshop will be led by experienced mentors in the fields of human rights, transitional justice, media and artistic activism, and participants will develop skills in:
intercultural reporting and storytelling,
designing artistic initiatives for reconciliation,
practical dialogue and creative collaboration.
The workshop will end with a joint multimedia exhibition, which will present the works and reflections of the participants created during the three-day process. After the workshop, four participants will be selected to write media or literary texts that will unify the common messages and conclusions of the young workshop participants – giving voice to a new generation that believes in the power of dialogue and regional reconciliation.
Why participate?
Learn directly from experts in the fields of media, arts and transitional justice
Meet and collaborate with peers from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Explore Sarajevo through its cultural and historical layers
Participate in a joint multimedia exhibition
Strengthen your voice in building a democratic and empathetic society
Who can apply?
The call is open to young people aged 18 to 30 from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina who are:
active in the field of media, arts or social activism,
interested in creative storytelling and intercultural dialogue,
motivated to use art and media as tools for social change and reconciliation.
When selecting participants, we will take into account equal geographical and gender
representation of participants from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to ensure a diversity of perspectives and experiences in working together.
How to apply?
Fill out the application form no later than November 20. Selected participants will be notified by November 24.
All participation costs (travel, accommodation and food) are covered. Together we reflect on the past through stories, creativity and cooperation.
REPORTING CULTURE – Connecting Communities for Change is implemented by Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN Hub and Youth Initiative for Human Rights, in cooperation with the Regional office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Tirana, within the framework of “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans”, a project funded by the European Union that aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.
On October 16, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network organised an event in Sarajevo to foster dialogue on freedom of expression, cybersecurity, and digital rights, and to explore their impact on everyday life. The gathering brought together journalists, media organizations, and representatives of civil society.
The event opened with a presentation of the report, “Surveillance and Censorship in the Western Balkans.” Azem Kurtic, a journalist at BIRN and author of the Bosnia and Herzegovina country report, presented the key findings for Bosnia. The criminalization of defamation, the non-transparent use of surveillance cameras, and SLAPP lawsuits – most often used as tools to encourage journalists’ self-censorship – were among the issues highlighted in the report. The presentation sparked a discussion among participants, who shared their experiences, insights and perspectives on media freedom and digital rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Fedja Kulenovic, from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, led a session on the importance of self-protection in the digital environment. He discussed the evolution of digital threats, from phishing and spyware to the increasing use of artificial intelligence, covering topics such as identity protection, device security, tools for safe communication, and AI-related risks. He highlighted that connecting AI tools with various applications can lead to the unintentional exposure of sensitive data, emphasizing the importance of access control and regular permission reviews.
The second part of the event focused on digital rights. Selma Melez, a BIRN Bosnia journalist and country monitor for Bosnia and Herzegovina, presented findings from the 2025 digital rights violations monitoring activity. She noted that the most frequent cases involve online hate speech, disinformation, and online fraud, as well as AI-facilitated threats to digital freedoms, including image misuse and extortion, with children often being the primary victims.
The event concluded with a panel discussion, titled “The Importance of Safeguarding Digital Rights in Contemporary Social Practices,” moderated by Aida Ajanovic. Panelists included Maja Calovic, digital media expert at Mediacentar, hvale vale, a gender and digital rights expert, Nasir Muftic, lawyer and assistant professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo, and Lejla Turcilo, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo.
The discussion offered legal, media, academic and activist perspectives on digital rights, addressing topics such as the legal framework in Bosnia, media and platform accountability, balancing freedom of expression and regulation, forms of online gender-based violence, digital literacy, and ethics.
Participants were actively engaged throughout the panel, stressing the importance of such gatherings for fostering dialogue on issues crucial to protecting digital freedoms.
Thirty participants attended the event, including 18 women.
This event was a joint initiative of the EU-funded project “Reporting Digital Rights and Freedoms” and the Open Society Foundation-funded project “Surveillance and Censorship in the Western Balkans.”
BIRN hosted a panel session on October 11 in Athens entitled “Platform Bans on the Rise: Trends and Human Rights Implications in South East Europe”.
The panel opened an important conversation about the growing trend of platform bans in South-Eastern Europe and their impact on freedom of expression, political participation, and privacy rights. Drawing on BIRN’s regional monitoring of digital rights violations, it explored the timing and legal implications of bans, their impact on democratic processes, and strategies for safeguarding civic space.
The panel brought together a diverse group of experts and practitioners: Aida Mahmutović, Project Manager at BIRN Kosovo, Megi Reci, Digital Rights Research Lead at BIRN Hub, Snežana Nikčević, a civic-tech advocate at NGO 35mm, and Besmir Semanaj, a digital rights researcher and technology expert. The panel was moderated by Azra Milić, Digital Rights Programme Coordinator at BIRN Hub.
One of the central messages of the panel was that platform bans, though often presented as protective or regulatory measures, are being weaponized to shrink the civic space and limit fundamental rights. The speakers highlighted how these actions affect journalists, activists, and everyday users, underscoring the urgent need for more transparent, rights-based governance models in the digital space.
Reflecting on regional developments, Megi Reci noted: “While Turkey takes an assertive stance, using legal, technical, and informal means to ban or throttle platforms, hybrid regimes in Albania and Serbia echo some of these censorship and legal trends, despite their formal commitment to EU integration and digital policies focused on regulation over censorship. We agreed the WB6 can’t remain on the fence, and must choose between authoritarian control of the digital space or a transparent, rights-based governance models.”
The panel also emphasized the role of media in raising awareness and facilitating dialogue on digital rights issues. Aida Mahmutović reflected on the evolution of media engagement in these processes, noting: “Over the past decade, we have seen how the role of media and journalism has evolved at the global Internet Governance Forum from mere participation and reporting on outcomes to shaping the discussion and the agenda with our unique perspective. We were happy to see that also brought into the South East European region through the panels and workshops at SEEDIG 10.”
This year’s SEEDIG event, marking ten years of multistakeholder dialogue and collaboration on internet governance and digital policy, coincided with BIRN’s celebration of 20 years of defending democracy, media freedom, and human rights across Southeast Europe.
The panel in Athens was a powerful reminder of the importance of regional cooperation in safeguarding these values and ensuring that the digital space remains open, inclusive, and grounded in human rights.
Internet Freedom Meet 2025 (IFM 2025) will take place in Pristina, Kosovo, from November 24 to 26. It will bring together experts in the field of digital rights and internet freedoms to exchange, learn and discuss ever-expanding digital rights and freedoms issues.
The programme offers plenary sessions, panel discussions and workshops aimed at empowering, educating and contributing to greater engagement in the field of digital rights in the Western Balkans. This marks the third year of the IFM organised as part of the Reporting Digital Rights and Freedoms project.
What’s on the agenda?
Speakers and experts in their field will lead discussions on pressing issues, such as digital legislation (reform, regulation, weaponisation), unpack online scams across the Western Balkans and Turkey & institutional responses, misuse of AI in the context of disinformation and digital violence, political dissent and resistance online, online manipulation during elections and its influence on democratic processes, and surveillance & censorship.
At this year’s edition of IFM, attendees will also have the opportunity to join the launch of the new Digital Rights Violations Annual Report. The report provides an in-depth look at key findings across all monitored regions, highlights emerging trends based on data analysis and offers concrete recommendations to uphold human rights both online and offline.
Please note that the programme will be held in English.
Reasons to apply
The IFM 2025 in Pristina is a unique regional opportunity to engage with experts from different internet governance stakeholder groups, gain insights, and personally contribute to a future digital environment which is freer, safer and open for all.
This space is for you, whether you’re a digital rights activist, tech enthusiast, academic, journalist, internet policy pasionato or engaged netizen. Applications are open for individuals from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Governing digital space means that each voice counts in discussions that concern us all.
How to apply
Applications are now open but please note that the seats are limited. You can apply by completing this application formby October 19th, 2025, at 23:59 CET. BIRN will cover accommodation and travel expenses for selected participants from the above-mentioned countries. Only selected applicants will be contacted.
Important note: Participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to enter Kosovo, have to have a new biometric ID card.
We are looking forward to your applications.
If you have IFM 2025-related questions, please contact [email protected].
Alongside hundreds of news organisations, media support associations and individuals from over 100 countries, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) is taking part in this year’s World News Day, which is aimed at raising awareness about the value of credible news reporting.
As part of the World News Day activities, BIRN is highlighting 12 of Balkan Insight’s most important investigations from the past 12 months. The stories include reports on journalists being targeted by law enforcement in Romania and by the intelligence service in Serbia, the torture of migrants in the Balkans by an armed Afghan gang and the escalation of arms shipments to Israel from Serbia.
This report reveals how journalists conducting public-interest investigations in Romania were put under surveillance by their targets with the help of law enforcement.
A BIRN investigation supported by Amnesty International showed how Serbia’s domestic security agency has been unlocking activists’ phones using Israeli technology and installing a locally-developed spyware.
Between 2023 and 2024, the value of Serbian arms sales to Israel rose from 1.4 million euros to 42.3 million. Belgrade shrugged off widespread accusations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza and calls from United Nations human rights experts for a halt to the delivery of deadly weapons, BIRN and Haaretz reported.
Israeli PR guru Srulik Einhorn worked to burnish the image of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, BIRN and Haaretz reported – facilitate the flow of Serbian arms to Israel’s war in Gaza. Wanted for questioning in Israel, Einhorn has set up shop in Belgrade.
Srulik Einhorn (L) taking a photo of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbian Progressive Party headquarters, June 21, 2020. Photo: Vesna Lalic/Nova.rs
According to Frontex, the EU’s border force, the number of ‘illegal migrants’ using the Balkan route to reach the European bloc has fallen. With the EU tightening its borders, violent transnational smuggling groups have strengthened their grip on the routes that bring refugees and migrants to Europe through the Balkans.
Amid heightened border security, an armed Afghan gang operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina has turned to kidnapping asylum seekers and demanding ransom payments from their families. Its tactics include physical abuse and sometimes rape.
Italy’s right-wing government called it a magic wand for the migrants arriving on its shores, but a deal with Albania to outsource and accelerate asylum processing has run afoul of Italian courts. One Bangladeshi’s story explains how it also makes migrants’ journeys even more traumatic.
Migrant workers from Africa told BIRN about having to surrender their passports on arrival in Albania, working unpaid overtime and facing deportation once they are no longer required. Many are left with debts to the agencies that act as middlemen.
This report from Sarajevo details the creation of a shadowy, heavily-armed and potentially illegal police unit at the exclusive, 24-hour beck and call of the man who led Bosnia’s border police for nine years and is now a fugitive from arrest.
In 2022 and 2023, Serbia’s Education Ministry allocated almost 200,000 euros to 11 NGOs to organise violence prevention workshops in schools. BIRN has traced all the NGOs to the same small group of people – and found that most of the workshops never happened.
During the 1998-99 war in Kosovo, Roma municipal employees were forced to clean up the crimes committed by Serbian forces, carrying and disposing of corpses with their bare hands. Branded collaborators, they were targeted for revenge after the fighting finished.
The case of a Chinese-led power plant expansion in Serbia laid bare the extent to which President Aleksandar Vucic has upended the country’s constitution, creating an unofficial layer of government calling the shots in areas where legal experts say it has no jurisdiction whatsoever.
With extensive media experience and a strong background in project management, Dragana joined BIRN in February 2006, only a couple of months after its establishment, as project manager. She was promoted to country director in 2007.
Dragana previously worked for prominent international organisations, such as the Stability Pact for SEE, Transparency International and the European Agency for Reconstruction, as well as for electronic media.
Under her leadership, BIRN Serbia has been recognised for its professionalism and ability to influence the public agenda in the fields of media development and good governance.
But she only learned about the organisation a few days before her job interview.
“A colleague asked me if I’d like to meet Dragana Solomon, who was then the [BIRN Serbia] director. I still remember that meeting clearly. The office was in Jovanova Street, in Dorćol, a historic part of Belgrade. It was an informal, chatty meeting, and she was enthusiastic about what they had just started: five brave women. She wasn’t even sure exactly what they needed from me, but she was open to ideas. I remember that I felt this was the place where I could grow,” Dragana says.
In her opinion, it was great to be part of a team building something from scratch.
“Those of us who are here [in BIRN] from the beginning grew professionally alongside the organisation. Back then, we were just three people. Today, BIRN Serbia is a leading, award-winning investigative outlet that sets standards in the profession. We’re just now working on new projects about AI in journalism, kickstarting a community programme, and redesigning our website. It never stands still, and as long as we manage to remain relevant and at the forefront of media development, I assume expectations are met,” explains Dragana.
“Someone more cynical might say journalism has failed. But despite that, I was never ashamed to say where I work, in a country that has seen a dramatic decline of professional journalism, which is already a success,” she says.
BIRN has experienced many changes over the last 20 years. One of the most significant is growth.
“From a small group of enthusiasts with shared values, the BIRN network became a professional organisation with more than 300 people across the region. Of course, that changes the working culture. But I do believe our core values are still intact,” she adds.
“Managing these positions is possible because I have a great team and devoted partners. I’ve been doing both almost since the beginning and for me it’s the perfect balance. As director of BIRN Serbia, I am deeply rooted in the local scene, and the Fellowship broadens my horizons. I’ve met the brightest journalists from across Central and Eastern Europe,” she explains.
The Fellowship’s alumni network now has about 150 members.
“It keeps my curiosity alive. Some of the things that I learn from them we are also trying to implement in Serbia. If anyone needs tips from the Balkans to the Baltics, I’m your person,” Dragana says.
However, during her work in BIRN Serbia, Dragana, along with the rest of the team, has encountered various obstacles.
“Obstacles are many, unfortunately. First and foremost, financial challenges. There’s no sustainable business model for public interest media globally, and especially in politically captured markets like Serbia.
“Then come threats to physical safety, smear campaigns and digital threats, including spyware attacks on my colleagues. Add to that, non-functional institutions, and most recently, a new form of pressure, SLAPP lawsuits; we’re currently facing five of those,” explains Dragana.
Still, against all the odds, “we’re alive and kicking,” she adds.
“We keep reporting on corruption and systemic problems. We tell stories that people can relate to. We help them see the truth and understand it better. And in that context, being attacked means that we are doing our job well,” Dragana says.
As BIRN means “freedom to do what she believes in”, would she have done anything differently in her professional path, if she could?
“It’s a very hypothetical question. I could have done many things differently, but then the outcomes would be different as well, and I quite like what we’ve made. So instead of looking back, I’d rather focus on what’s coming next. We still have so much to do,” she says.
Speaking of how she sees BIRN in the next 20 years, Dragana says “the entire environment in which we work has changed” in the last 20 years.
“The main social and political concepts have changed globally, also affecting the media and its role in societies. We have also witnessed major technological developments. I sometimes joke that I became a director because I was the only one who knew how to use Excel, and since then, things have accelerated. The way we communicate, access and consume content, and the demands of the market, have completely changed, while the threats to information integrity are mounting.
Dragana with Denis Dzidic, BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Director, and Ana Petrusheva, BIRN Macedonia’s Director
“Exactly because of that, I believe that real, hardcore journalism will be even more relevant in the years to come. So, I see BIRN adapting to new realities and staying faithful to its mission – to bring important stories to people,” she adds.
Those important stories are brought to the people through trusted independent journalism. September 28 is World News Day, a global campaign dedicated to highlighting the importance of fact-based journalism. Alongside hundreds of news organisations, media support associations, and individuals from over 100 countries, BIRN is participating in this year’s World News Day, which aims to raise awareness about the value of credible news reporting.
“Trusted journalism helps people make sense of the world, which is precisely why it is often seen as a threat by those in power who work hard to undermine it,” Dragana says.
“It prevents citizens from being left in the dark or manipulated by propaganda and lies, especially in times of crisis. For instance, since the recent protests in Serbia began, independent media have experienced a notable surge in audience. In societies where professional journalism is in decline and threats to reporters are increasing, producing fact-based, independent, trusted reporting becomes not only a public service but also an act of resistance,” she explains.
Outside of work, Dragana is a mother, daughter, sister, and friend. “People are what drive me, in work and in life. So, in my free time, you’ll probably find me surrounded by my gang,” she concludes.
From September 8-10, BIRN participated in the Global Gathering 2025 in Portugal, one of the most significant global events bringing together key actors working on digital rights and media freedom.
This year’s Global Gathering focused on topics such as the digital security of journalists and civil society, countering online censorship and surveillance, disinformation and internet governance. The event brought together participants from over 144 countries. Through numerous discussions, sessions, and exchanges of experience, it provided space for collectively exploring ways to counter the increasing threats to digital freedoms.
“Participating in the 2025 Global Gathering was a powerful reminder of the importance of collaboration and solidarity among civil society, researchers, journalists, and technologists, in the face of growing digital authoritarianism. We had the chance to discuss strategies for building resilience and improving our watchdog work on digital rights violations. This is especially critical now, as civil society and independent media around the world operate under growing pressure, not only from repressive regimes, but also from severe financial constraints. In this context, staying focused, adaptable, and united in our commitment to digital freedoms is not only urgent, but essential.”
– Megi Reci, Digital Rights Research Lead at BIRN
As part of our contribution to the event, BIRN hosted a two-hour booth where we showcased the results of the Digital Rights Programme and shared insights from Southeast Europe. We used the opportunity to raise awareness about key findings related to censorship and surveillance in the Western Balkans, based on research conducted in 2024 and early 2025.
“At the event, we contributed by sharing BIRN’s experience in developing and applying civic monitoring methodologies to document and respond to digital rights violations, particularly in hybrid regimes across South East Europe. We presented findings from our ongoing research into surveillance and censorship practices in the Western Balkans, highlighted the importance of protecting digital rights during elections and political unrest, and addressed the often overlooked collusion between state actors and private tech companies.”
– Megi Reci added.
This participation holds particular significance as BIRN marks 20 years of work in defending media freedom, transparency, and human rights across the region. Reflecting on this milestone, Digital Rights Programme Coordinator Azra Milić noted:
“Over two decades of BIRN’s work, we have witnessed how the nature of repression has shifted – increasingly moving into the digital environment. In response to these changes, BIRN established the Digital Rights Programme, recognising the growing need to protect digital freedoms.”
At the ABOAGORA symposium in Turku, Finland, on September 12, Nejra Mulaomerovic, Senior Project Manager of the Balkan Transitional Justice programme, presented the first multimedia database mapping mass graves from the Yugoslav wars.
The project highlights the ongoing challenges of remembrance, decades after the armed conflicts ended in former Yugoslavia and amid the gaps in transitional justice.
The panel session, titled Concealed in Plain Sight: Transcribing Transitional Justice Data Between Remembrance and Erasure, explored how judicial archives and public memory can transform fragmented sites of remembrance into meaningful narratives.
“Bitter Land is not only a map. It’s an attempt to resist forgetting,” said Nejra Mulaomerovic, Senior Project Manager of the Balkan Transitional Justice programme.
“To piece together the fragments scattered in archives, in courtrooms and in the soil itself. By bringing these graves into the public space, we’re saying that these crimes cannot be hidden, these people cannot be erased, and memory cannot be denied.
Photo: Pekko Vasantola
“I invite you to explore the project online, but more importantly — to reflect on what it means for a society when even the dead are unsettled,” she said.
Three other speakers, Ismar Cirkinagic, Selma CatoviC Hughes, and Anita Karabasic, shared artistic explorations of war archives, examining memory, trauma, and collective commemoration.
ABOAGORA’s interdisciplinary format, combining keynote lectures, panel discussions, and performative sessions, provided a platform to bridge archival research, art, and public engagement, highlighting innovative ways to connect past atrocities with present-day memory.
ABOAGORA is an annual international event that promotes dialogue between the arts, humanities, and sciences, held in Turku, Finland.
This year marks BIRN’s 20th anniversary. It all started when five women from countries recovering from brutal wars defied the odds to establish what would become a major independent media organisation – the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
One of them was Ana Petrusheva, BIRN Macedonia’s director. Prior to founding BIRN, Ana worked as a journalist for various outlets. During the conflict in 2001, she worked for Reuters and started writing for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). In 2003, she became country director for IWPR.
BIRN was founded two years later, and Ana was a managing editor of Balkan Insight between 2006 and 2016. She explains what it was like founding the network in 2005 with female colleagues in the traditional patriarchal region of the Western Balkans.
“In those days we were a small group, of mainly women, and we were all very close, had already worked together, we were loving it and we were convinced that we had a winning formula: that we could marry local knowledge and international standards and produce groundbreaking journalism that would be valuable to both local and international audiences. In doing so, we’d fill a substantial gap between what local media was reporting and how international media would often parachute in and out of our countries and produce reporting that would not necessarily paint the whole story or would lack certain context.
“Although the media market in the Balkans is traditionally oversaturated, it was always contaminated – now probably more than ever – with media serving various political or business interests rather than the public interest. In turn, that has made our role even more important,” says Ana.
There were several obstacles that the founders had to confront in working as an independent regional media organisation.
“Funding was one. We were new, we had great ideas, lots of ambition, but we had to start from scratch. Fortunately, the Swiss were among the first to recognise our potential and they supported the making of our 2005 documentary about Kosovo, ‘Does anyone have a plan?’, which involved dozens of interviews with politicians and ordinary people from the Balkans, as well as various top international officials. I believe it was that film, directed by Lode Desmet, along with the launch of Balkan Insight, that paved the way for the organisation it is today”, says Ana.
Besides working as a country director, she is also a member of the BIRN Board.
“The Board, over the years, has had a very important role in different aspects, from the general direction of the organisation’s development, to fundraising and programmes. My role, specifically, is to represent the Network members, given that the other members of the Board are not from BIRN. The board has played an important role in navigating the organisation, particularly at difficult times when the organisation has been under attack from various actors,” she adds.
As the director of BIRN Macedonia, Petrusheva has many tasks, among others: running the editorial, organising training sessions involving journalists throughout the country, and securing the organisation’s funding. Of course, she prefers some parts of her job.
“My passion and the part of my job I enjoy the most is and always has been the editorial part of it. I have been incredibly lucky to work with some of the finest reporters and editors in the country, who are eager to dive deep into complex stories, no matter how much time and work it takes. At the same time, equally important, we share the same ethical and professional standards to ensure the findings in our investigations are bulletproof. I am immensely proud of our stories and the Prizma publication that is recognised not only for its exceptional investigations but also for excellent writing and original storytelling,” Ana explains.
Speaking about BIRN Macedonia, Ana says it has been a pioneer in the region in developing massive, complex interactive databases on different topics.
“From the award-winning database uncovering the cost of the Skopje 2014 revamp, to a database documenting almost 10 years of foreign investments, which was shortlisted for the global Data Journalism Awards in 2017, to other databases detailing the spending in 80 municipalities over 4 years, exploring agricultural subsidies and media ownership in the country, to the latest published this year documenting all the properties and land owned by the biggest religious communities,” says Petrusheva.
Apart from that, she also enjoys the training sessions BIRN Macedonia organises, mainly for young journalists.
“It is so invigorating, the enthusiasm, curiosity, and dedication of young people. It is also a good reminder that despite all the changes and looming dangers for the profession, be it from social media or AI, there are driven young people who recognise journalism as a calling, rather than just a job,” adds Ana.
And, in her opinion, those are the two most important pillars of BIRN’s work – reporting and training.
“Our publications, Balkan Insight – the flagship publication in English – but equally important Prizma in Macedonian, Detektor in Bosnian, BIRN’s publication in Serbia, Kallxo and Reporter in Kosovo and Albania, along with TV production in different countries, the stories that reach audiences through these outlets, that is what BIRN is about,” she says.
With all these BIRN activities in mind, journalism as a whole faces a tough future.
“Given the current global challenges and dangers for journalism, I believe we are entering a phase that will bring a whole new set of difficulties and obstacles for our work. The blurred lines between ‘content’ and journalism, the constant political attacks on professional media, the hike of SLAPP suits, the rise of AI and the decline of professional standards, the rise in journalists being killed, all point to rough seas for the profession, especially in regions with autocrats at the helm”, explains Ana.
For Ana, BIRN means freedom and privilege.
“Freedom to do great journalism, to uncover and expose wrongdoing and systemic flaws, to put difficult and complex issues under the spotlight without anyone hanging over your head, without any agendas. Privilege to work with an amazing team that shares the passion and dedication to make a difference, against all odds.”
But would she do anything differently if she could in her professional path over the past 20 years?
“Not necessarily. I am not a ‘what if’ type of person, as I believe that retrospect leads only to regret. If a certain decision seemed the right call at the time it was made, it was probably right. And when it wasn’t, it was a lesson that has further shaped my personal growth,” says Ana.
She has a clear image of BIRN in the next 20 years.
“Hopefully, it will continue to be a beacon of professional journalism, and its position would be further fortified against the tide of scandalous, false, superficial, malicious information stemming from all sorts of ‘content’ creators. At the same time, I hope it will continue to be an oasis for young reporters who receive BIRN training, regardless of whether on the job within BIRN or through its training programmes.”
Blake Morrison, Investigative Projects Editor at Reuters News, opened the fifth day of the 15th BIRN Summer School, where he gave attendees advice on how to pitch their stories.
Morrison was joined by Gordana Andric, Executive Editor, BIRN Serbia, and Sasa Dragojlo, BIRN Serbia Correspondent, to help 30 participants turn their story ideas into solid pitches.
Photo: Azem Kurtic
In the next session, Ana Petruseva, Director, BIRN Macedonia, held a workshop on ‘Developing Complex Databases with Thousands of Documents’, which gave participants new insights into handling large amounts of data.
“When we encounter a huge amount of data, we always find ourselves in a phase where we say ‘this can’t be done!’, but that usually means we have a new challenge that we want to overcome,” Petruseva told participants. “Methodology is key. If you have any inconsistencies, then you are in trouble.”
Photo: BIRN/Adnan Beqiri
She explained this using real world examples of data such as foreign investment, state subsidies and media ownership. She presented data on BIRN’s research into the land owned by religious communities – the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Islamic Community – in North Macedonia.
Photo: BIRN/Adnan Beqiri
Kreshnik Gashi, Managing Editor at Kallxo.com at BIRN Kosovo explained to participants in the next session how to and reduce legal risks in reporting. During his presentation, ‘Reporting Safely: Legal Considerations, Case Illustrations, and SLAPP Insights’, Gashi shared his experiences of protecting himself from SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) lawsuits, state pressure, corporate influence, and other challenges that can put journalists in legal jeopardy.
“Journalists are being arrested, sued, and threatened with lawsuits. Although we live in democratic societies, officials and people of influence and power can still pose a threat and attempt to intimidate us,” explained Gashi.
Photo: BIRN/Adnan Beqiri
He added that the goal of a SLAPP is not to win in court, but to drain the resources, time, and money of journalists and newsrooms.
Gashi also reminded colleagues that they must respect the ethical principles of journalism and comply with privacy rules. “Use your knowledge of the law to protect yourself,” he advised.
Next up, Denis Dzidic, BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina Director, shared his experiences during a session called ‘Reporting in Times of Crisis – War Crimes Reporting’.
Photo: BIRN/Adnan Beqiri
Participants ended the day with a visit to the BIRN Museum Reporting House and participated in a panel discussion, ‘Investigative Journalism: Two Decades of Change, moderated by Denis Dzidic and attended by BIRN founders Petruseva, Jeta Xharra, BIRN Kosovo Director, and Dragana Solomon.
Photo: BIRN/Adnan Beqiri
This was followed by the Certificate Awarding Ceremony in the Reporting House yard, during which journalists socialised and exchanged experiences in an informal setting.
