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A three-day training on storytelling, digital security and data journalism took place in the Georgian capital on February 21-23, gathering around 20 journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The workshop is part of the project “Spheres of Influence Uncovered”, jointly implemented by BIRN, German NGO n-ost, Uzbek’s Anhor and Georgian JAMNews media outlets.

The workshop aimed at equipping participants with journalistic knowledge and skills needed not only for the sake of the project – during which they will map foreign influences and produce country-based and cross-border stories – but in their everyday work as well.

During the storytelling training, held by the managing editor of BIRN’s Balkan Insight, Dusica Tomovic, participants learned about what makes a good story, what are major reporting phases and the importance of knowing your audience.

BIRN journalist and digital security trainer Milica Stojanovic walked the participants through security of communication, types of danger, encryption and useful apps. Aleksandra Shalibashvili, a researcher and a project coordination at Tbilisi-based ForSet, an enterprise strengthening change-makers is use of data, design, and technology, talked about using data in an effective manner, must-have data tools as well as data visualization.

Apart from the official training sessions, participants spent time sharing experiences and spotting similarities between their three regions in relation to China, Russia, the EU and other actors. Part of the workshop was also a guided walking tour around Tbilisi, focusing on the various influences on Georgia over time, as well as on the current foreign direct investments and foreign economic activities in the South Caucasus country.

The project “Spheres of Influence Uncovered” aims to contribute to a better understanding of the roles that three key international players – the EU, Russia and China – have on the seven project countries’ economies. In the course of this, participating journalists will map economic activities among these three players and identify the main challenges and consequences for their countries. This project is partly a follow-up on BIRN’s previous work in the sphere of foreign economic activities, explored in the interactive map China in the Balkans.

In the coming months, more skills-building activities will take place in the Balkans and Central Asia, while the first country-based and cross-border long reads are to be published soon.

Igor Vujčić, 37, comes from Serbia and has worked for BIRN as a graphic designer for the last three years. His natural gift in arts guided him to study at the College of Fine and Applied Arts in Belgrade.

Balkan Insight’s biggest investigative and long-form stories have his visual signature. His style has formed Balkan Insight’s unique visual identity.

Igor prefers to illustrate investigative stories, as they are more personal and include a human factor, unlike global news stories.

He believes that illustration is powerful, as it conveys the message that journalists want to transfer to the readers through their words, while simultaneously working as a tool to attract readers.

1. Why did you become a graphic designer/illustrator? Who is your favourite artist?

As it usually goes with artists, from the first day I could hold a pen in my hand it was clear that I would become an artist, or something close to that. Throughout my childhood, I would sit for hours and draw superheroes and other favourite cartoon characters, so my natural choice after elementary school was the Design School in Belgrade, and the best fit to meet my passion for illustration was the Graphic Design department. There is certainly a bit of genetics in all that, as both my father and mother, though an electrical engineer and a medical worker, always had talent for drawing. Now my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter can already draw faces and details like at least a four-year-old kid.

Illustrator Bob Zivkovic was my childhood “hero”, while now that I’ve dived into the world of illustration, I cannot single out one favourite artist.

2. Why did you decide to work as an illustrator for a media company, namely Balkan Insight?

Working for a media company like Balkan Insights enables a lot of freedom in expression, creativity and participation in diverse projects. It’s not only about getting the work done; I must also immerse myself in the topic and think metaphorically, finding new relations between objects and themes to convey the right message to the viewer. It is never boring and is quite challenging.

3. What do you like most in your job in Balkan Insight and what is the most challenging thing? 

The possibility to experiment with styles is a big plus in this job; depending on the subject, I need to find the appropriate style which best fits the context. It enables me to make an authentic design that makes me also satisfied with my work. That is challenging at the same time, as I don’t use the same template and “recycle”, but always start from scratch.

4. How difficult or easy is it to illustrate a media story and an in-depth investigation for Balkan Insight? How do visual elements contribute to media stories?

If done right, illustration is a powerful tool to attract readers and convey the message as, along with the headline, they tell part of a story, but still not enough, so they trigger a viewer’s curiosity, and our urge is to understand the whole story and not leave it “half-baked” in our minds. There is an expression that “people are visual creatures,” so the illustration for a media story makes a long-standing mark and adds to the expression of the journalist. That is at least what I hope is my contribution to an article.

5. What kind of stories do you prefer to illustrate? Which is your favourite illustration you have done for Balkan Insight?

I mostly enjoy doing illustrations for investigative stories, as they are more personal and include a human factor, unlike global news stories. That means I can better relate to them and put myself in the correspondent’s shoes, and as a result provide a better visual for the story.

As for my favourite illustration, it is better to ask my colleagues and readers – what made the greatest impression and what triggered the conversation?

6. Do you believe media should have visual identity? Can you tell us about Balkan Insight’s visual identity?

As the case is with any organization, visual identity makes a brand recognizable and enhances the credibility of the news piece.

When it comes to the visual identity of Balkan Insight, there is a good balance between excellent quality photography and illustration, which puts it on a par with major worldwide media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eleni Stamatouku, 41, has been working for BIRN’s flagship Balkan Insight for the last two years as our correspondent from Greece as well as Communications Manager in BIRN.

Based in Athens, she has a BA in Balkan Studies and MA in Social Anthropology and wanted to be a journalist since she was a young child. For her, journalism allows people to “live” different lives by meeting people from all cultures.

She always tries to include the human side in all the topics she reports on, so it is even easier for the readers to relate. She has led BIRN’s investigation into the harassment of Greek women journalists in their workplaces. The investigation covered incidents from 1993 to 2021, revealing that female journalists in Greece do not feel safe reporting incidents.

1. Why did you decide to become a journalist?

 When we were in the first grade, our teacher asked us to write down what we wanted to become when we grew up. I still have this composition. I wrote that I wanted to be a teacher or a journalist. I chose to be a journalist because I like listening to and writing stories. Through journalism, you can “live” different lives and meet extraordinary people and cultures. That’s the good part of our profession.

2.  Do you have a quote, it can be directly about journalism or not, that you keep in mind during your work? If yes, share it with us and explain why you picked it.

After finishing reporting (reading, interviews, transcriptions, meetings, etc.), the best part is the writing process, as I listen to music to concentrate and write. In her book “Girl in a band: A Memoir” Kim Gordon, who formed Sonic Youth together with Thurston Moore, narrates a conversation she had with her friend, an artist called Dan, who confesses to her that he wishes he could make art that was like a Kinks’ song. Gordon questions herself, saying: “A lot of artists listen to music while they work, and many think, ‘Why can’t I make art that looks as intense as the sounds I’m hearing’? I don’t have an answer.” I wish my journalism could be as intense as the sounds of my favourite songs – a difficult task.

3. What do you like most in your job, and what is the most challenging thing?

I am very proud to be part of BIRN’s family and have the chance to collaborate with many people from different backgrounds and cultures. The thing that I like is that I am always learning something new. The most challenging thing in my everyday work is the deadlines and the obstacles, when companies, state bodies, and people do not answer my questions.

4. On what kind of stories do you prefer to work and why? Which is your favoirite story you have written for Balkan Insight so far?

I like to write primarily human stories because I feel like that’s the only way readers can feel some connection and relate. Even in the most difficult investigations, I always try to get people talking first.

One of my favorite investigations is “No Refund: How Greece Made Passengers Pay to KeepAirlines Alive,” which is about consumers in Greece and abroad who were waiting to get their money back from three Greek airlines (Aegean Airlines, Sky Express, Ellinair) when their flights were canceled due to the pandemic. The Greek government supported a voucher-only compensation scheme at the expense of consumers, and contrary to European law. I should note here that the Greek media refused to publish this research at first. Aegean Airlines is one of the largest companies in Greece and has a big influence.

5. Recently you published an investigation into the #metoo movement in Greek media. Would you like to tell us more about this story and its importance?

Due to the lack of a media watchdog in Greece, BIRN investigated the harassment of Greek female journalists in their workplaces.

The BIRN investigation disclosed that female journalists are often afraid to report such abuse and harassment and ignore the procedures. At the same time, most media in Greece do not even have the means to handle such cases.

BIRN’s research covered incidents over almost 30 years, from 1993 to 2021, documented through interviews with current and former media industry workers

The investigation was republished in Greek by the EFSYN newspaper and presented by several Greek media, such as Lifo, In.gr, ERT3, Proto Thema, Marie Claire, TVXS, Ladylike.gr, Popaganda.gr etc.

BIRN’s investigation helped open up a long-needed debate on the abuse and harassment of female journalists in the Greek media.

6. What were the main obstacles during this investigation?

 I want to thank my editor-in-chief Dusica Tomovic and all my editors and colleagues at Balkan Insight. Without their support, I could not have done this research. The biggest difficulty was how to approach the female victims who agreed to meet in person. I was very anxious how to make the interviewees feel safe so that they would trust me and share their stories with me. Then there were various other small “difficulties” such as the reactions of the Greek media – some of which were exaggerated – when we asked to see if they have procedures where victims can seek help and report their abuse / harassment. A second investigation could certainly be written about the reactions of the Greek media. I hope our report helps in some way to slowly change things in the Greek press.

7.  What is your advice to aspiring journalists who want to work as correspondents in our region?

 Read as much as you can (books, investigations, etc.,) write as much as you can, work hard, travel, be open, ask questions, don’t give up, and dream.

 

BIRN is looking for people who want to create engaging and informative content focusing on technology and the opportunities and challenges it poses to democracy and human rights, in particular:

• Freedom of expression,
• COVID-related tech regulations,
• Content blocking and removal,
• Artificial intelligence, machine-learning and algorithmic decision-making processes,
• Transparency of processes of digital transformation in the region,
• Hate speech and discrimination in the digital environment,
• Gender issues,
• LGBTI+ issues,
• Digital security and phishing campaigns,
• Privacy and data protection,
• Surveillance practices,
• Accountability of the major internet platforms and online safety of users,
• Information security,
• Disinformation and misinformation,
• 5G technology in the region,
• Cryptocurrencies/blockchain,
• Social media bots and troll farms.

BIRN offers a comprehensive six-month programme for all accepted applications, which includes:

• Financial support ($1,325 gross),
• Regular networking opportunities,
• Meetings with relevant stakeholders dealing with digital transformation challenges and freedom of expression,
• On-the-job mentoring and editorial sessions to produce high-quality journalism and educational sessions focused on digital security for media.

Support is available for professional freelance or staff journalists to cover local, national and cross-border topics. The stories produced under the programme will be published by Balkan Insight and by prominent European, regional and international media outlets.

Click here to apply for the programme.

The call is open until October 31, 2022.

Who can apply?

The programme is open to all journalists who believe they have a good story concerning the health of the digital ecosystem in the Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo . We also welcome applications from staff reporters from local and national media who wish to co-publish the story with us.

Formal applicants can be:

• Individual journalists (working as part of newsroom structures or as freelancers),
• Teams (eg. reporter, producer, photographer, video editor) with a designated team leader as the contract signatory.

BIRN is committed to gender diversity and freedom from prejudice on any grounds.

Story requirements

• The story must focus on at least one of the topics listed above,
• It must be relevant and current to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo ,
• Stories that cover more than one country will be given an advantage,
• Only in-depth, investigative stories will be taken into account,
• Each story should be around 2,000 words long,
• Each selected story must be published within six months of receipt of the first instalment.

How to apply?

Fill out the application form and follow the instructions.

Attach the signed declaration document.

Evaluation and selection:

Step I: Technical evaluation will be carried out by BIRN staff to ensure the applicants have followed application procedures and submitted all the required documents.

Step II: Evaluation will be carried out by the editorial board to select applicants based on the evaluation criteria, including:

• Quality of the proposed idea,
• Feasibility of the proposed plan,
• Ability to reach the general public,
• Relevance of the proposed idea.

Step III: Notification of applicants.

For additional information, please contact [email protected]

The Digital Rights Programme for Journalists is made possible through support from the UN Democracy Fund, Internews and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Over three days, participants learned from trainers Besar Likmeta and Dragan Gmizic how to form teams and investigate environmental issues in their countries.

The trainers shared what it takes to establish a research team, publish and follow up on your investigation.

“When you investigate and publish about sensitive issues, for example on some public officials breaking the law, it’s better to have a network of journalists standing behind you,” said Likmeta, on the importance of cross-border journalism.

On the second day of the workshop, the participants learned more about climate journalism from guest lecturer Angelina Davydova. “Climate journalism is complicated, but allows for international cooperation, cross-border reporting and many training opportunities,” Davydova said. Participants then discussed how to address climate change in stories they’re interested in.

Finally, participants discussed local environmental issues related to nearby Lake Ohrid with Vladimir Trajanovski, from SOS Ohrid, a citizens’ initiative, which is active in protecting the area and its environment.

“Investigative journalists in North Macedonia helped us a lot by writing in their way about topics we pointed out to them, and had a crucial role in exposing problems,” Trajanovski said.

At the end of the workshop, participants formed cross-border research teams and will work on stories in the next two months until they gather again.

This was a first workshop organized as part of the project entitled Going Environmental, which is financed by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

 

 

Reporters with experience in data and business journalism from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are strongly encouraged to submit their applications no later than October 14, 2022.

Selected candidates will be working on “Spheres of Influence Uncovered”, a joint project by the Berlin-based media NGO n-ost, BIRN, the cross-Caucasus media outlet JAMnews and an online media outlet from Uzbekistan, Anhor.uz. Its primary focus is mapping and exploring FDI in the Balkans and Central Asia.

BIRN is looking both for freelancers and permanent employees of national and local media and private and state-owned outlets/public broadcasters. Experience in different media formats is preferable, and experience in business and data journalism is a must.

As the project language is English, aspiring candidates must have good oral and written proficiency in English.

During the timeline of the project, from 2022 to 2025, several training sessions and other networking activities will take place in the Balkans and Central Asia, which all participating journalists will have to attend. The first, a kick-off meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, will take place in mid-November 2022, most likely on November 11-13. Details will follow in the next few weeks.

Journalists will be researching FDI in their respective countries in a specified timeframe. Most FDI come from three key players – the EU, China and Russia, competing for influence in both regions. Information that journalists collect will form the basis for an online interactive map and a database, which is intended to shed more light on key investment projects and inform the general public in the project countries, but also beyond, about the consequences, criticisms and challenges these investments have provoked.

Selected participants also will attend a series of offline training sessions to boost their data, investigative and journalism skills: to learn how to properly fact-check a story; how to protect themselves in a digital surrounding; and learn more about specific directives and laws that China and Russia often violate. A special focus of the project is fostering cross-border cooperation and transnational and transregional networking of data and investigative journalists.

Last but not least, participants will produce a series of investigations and long-read articles, using the database and interactive map as a starting point and source of information.

Selected candidates will benefit from:

• taking part in a long-lasting journalistic project with enough time and resources to work on complex topics
• boosting their cross-border skills and working closely with colleagues from different regions
• the opportunity to expand and deepen their knowledge of their economic and (geo)political context and the consequences of investment and credit projects with foreign partner countries
• the opportunity to improve their journalistic skills with a view to investigative research, data journalism, and processing complex issues and large amounts of data
• gaining experience in building and using an international database on international economic cooperation and investment projects
• financial support for innovative and complex publication projects
• integration into an international journalistic network whose members benefit from one another through shared journalistic interests and mutually complementary skills

The project will consist of a number of online and offline activities during the next three-and-a-half years, which all selected participants will have to attend, which include traveling. Below is a preliminary list that will be defined further in the next weeks and months:

• A kick-off meeting in Tbilisi in mid-November 2022
• December 2022: one of the two training sessions, each lasting two-and-a-half days, in Belgrade (Serbo-Croatian/English) and in Tashkent (Russian)
• Spring 2023: Joint training for three-and-a-half days (English) in Tbilisi, on data collection
• Autumn 2023: Joint training for three-and-a-half days (English) in Podgorica, Montenegro, for the preparation and presentation of data – storytelling, infographics, video editing, social media production.
• Spring 2024: (a) a two-day in-depth training course in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on how to use the database for the project participants; (b) a two-and-a-half-day work meeting for the participants with an extended group of experts and (business) journalists (25 project participants + 25 others)
• Work on the database
• Production of country-based and cross-border long reads and investigative reports

The project, which started on September 15 and lasts until December 31, 2025, includes the following countries: Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Other partners on the project include the lead partner n-ost, from Germany, Anhor.uz, from Uzbekistan and JAMnews (headquartered in Tbilisi).

Click here to apply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members of the European Parliament sent written questions to the European Commission on September 16 about the EU-funded “Centaur” and “Hyperion” surveillance systems deployed in reception areas in Greece. Their questions came after BIRN and Greek investigative outlet Solomon published a joint investigation on this on September 9.

Karla is from Croatia and is based in the United Kingdom. She studied literature and philosophy and political sciences. She has been working as a journalist for five years, starting her career reporting on international affairs and global events.

Karla joined BIRN in October 2021, leading our Engagement Journalism programme; BIRN has developed a tool whereby media outlets can engage readers in their investigative reporting.

“The biggest challenge remains restoring faith in the media in the age when audiences are vulnerable to disinformation. Engagement journalism can be a solution because it allows audiences to be active participants in making the news,” Karla says.

BIRN participates in the Media Innovation Europe and within this context has launched a call for Audience-Engaged Journalism.

As she introduces BIRN’s new initiative, let’s meet her.

 

1. What do you like most in your job and what is the most challenging thing?

Joining BIRN in October 2021 on a project of engagement journalism has taught me that, by listening to the audience, significant stories can be made that will have a visible impact and promote positive change in local communities. Audiences can use their power to report on issues that matter to them, and the journalist can serve as a facilitator who will factcheck their input, write about their concerns and influence other people or authorities to act upon them. People will relate easier to an issue of local concern. Often it is the local perspective or event that will draw national and even international interest.

The biggest challenge remains to restore faith in media in the age when the audience is vulnerable to disinformation. Engagement journalism can be a solution because it allows audiences to be active participants in making the news. People today want to be heard, and want to be listened to, which is obvious from a simple glance through social media. At the same time, local media need to be empowered to become independent and financially resilient, to offer trustworthy information in a complex media environment.

2. BIRN participates in the Media Innovation Europe consortium of the International Press Institute, Thomson Foundation and Media Development Foundation. Tell us more about this initiative and its main scope

Launched on June 1, 2022, Media Innovation Europe is an exciting new initiative run by the International Press Institute, Thompson Foundation, the Media Development Foundation and BIRN. The main idea is to bring innovation to newsrooms, build stronger business models and foster collaboration among media outlets from 35 European countries; besides EU member states, this means Balkan countries, Moldova and Ukraine.

3. Within the context of Media Innovation Europe, BIRN is launching the Audience-Engaged Journalism call. Tell us about this.

BIRN has developed a tool which enables journalists to crowdsource information on topics of citizens’ interest and engage audience in reporting. Within the project Media innovation Europe, BIRN will offer Audience-Engaged Journalism grants to expand tool usage and train journalist to implement audience engagement journalism. Grants of up to €10,000 will be offered to journalists in 10 Visegrad and Balkan countries to develop investigative in-depth stories by engaging citizens in reporting. The call, which is open until October 28, invites journalists to send in story proposals. Journalists can choose to work on collaborative cross-border stories or on their own individual story. The most interesting proposals, which demonstrate commitment to engage citizens from diverse communities and develop investigative stories will be selected by an international independent jury and receive the funding.

4. Since December 2020, 51 media outlets from six Balkan countries have used BIRN’s Engaged Citizens Reporting ECR tool and produced investigative stories based on surveys, polls, and questionnaires. Can you select a story that made a difference and impacted the local community?

BIRN’s tool to engage citizens in reporting has been pilot-tested since 2020 and 51 media outlets from Balkans has implemented it. BIRN offered training and mentoring for journalists on how to make engagement stories within the Supporting Greater Media Independence in the Western Balkans project. Many interesting stories made an impact, so it is hard to pick just one. It was inspiring to see how some stories initiated local environmental initiatives. Citizens were desperate to report about ecological issues in each Balkan country to media outlets. They were also concerned about issues of local infrastructure, corruption, healthcare and minority rights. A story by Albanian media outlet Historia Ime about a transgender person who was refused a taxi service prompted an antidiscrimination process. The company had to issue a public apology and teach its staff about LGBTQ issues while the story itself was picked up by national and international media. Another example of impact was by SDK from Skopje, which collected evidence of unresolved court cases from ordinary people. In the end, the courts decided to look into these cases, collected by the outlet. You can check some of these stories on BIRN’s YouTube channel, “Engagement journalism in the Balkans”.

5. How difficult or easy is it for media today to engage readers and get local communities to participate in their investigations by answering ECR’s online questionnaire? How can media achieve this type of engagement?

As mentioned before, BIRN offers outlets a tool, training and mentoring. But this is only the beginning of the process. Media outlets need to get familiar with their audiences’ interests and concerns. The tool offers this possibility. It is an initial instrument which will help journalists gather data and multimedia material, like photos or videos. The journalist’s job is to check the information and then use it to make stories. The tool offers audiences a chance to report while staying anonymous, or by giving their contact details. According to media outlets, this feature helps to bridge the gap with marginalised and underrepresented communities who have often lost faith in the media and institutions. Through investigations, many communities got acquainted with audience engagement and participated more actively in reporting.

6. What are BIRN’s plans and goals for its Engaged Journalism program (ECR tool)?

From the technical aspect, the plan is keep adapting the tool to make it more approachable to users. The next goal is to expand the tool among journalists who will use it to engage their communities, which will be done through Media Innovation Europe project. Many media outlets have continued to use the tool even after their projects with BIRN ended. That is an important step towards the sustainability of engagement journalism in the Balkans.

 

 

 

 

BIRN’s research into forensic evidence, court documents and witness testimonies, combined with field research, led to the creation of the Bitter Land database, a unique multimedia resource about mass graves from the Yugoslav wars.

Bitter Land maps the largest of around 1,600 clandestine war graves that have been found so far – most of them in Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia.

Many of the largest mass graves of the 1990s wars now stand neglected and unmarked, while many of those responsible for massive cover-up operations to conceal thousands of victims’ corpses remain unpunished.

As BIRN’s team continues to update the database and add new grave sites, we also want to expand the scope of the Bitter Land project by commissioning a diverse range of new material.

We want to open up the project to external collaborators as well and engaging with the groups outside journalism who are interested in contributing – from photographers to scholars, civil society groups, historians and artists.

Submissions are open to anyone who is involved, or wants to become involved, in wider research around mass grave sites in the former Yugoslavia.

What kind of contributions are we looking for?

• Feature stories, analysis pieces and opinion articles focusing on wider issues related to enforced disappearances and clandestine gravesites
• Original research focused on the topic (historical, forensic, etc)
• Video and photo contributions
• Artistic contributions (graphics, visual presentations, 3D modelling, etc)

We are also open to any other suggestions of material that would enrich the resources of our Bitter Land database. The most outstanding pieces will be selected for a book publication focusing on mass graves in the former Yugoslavia, edited by Marija Ristic, BIRN’s regional director.

If you would like to get involved, please send us a brief pitch – up to 200 words – to [email protected] by August 26. All contributors whose pitches are accepted will receive a fee.