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On November 16-17 in Budapest, Hungary, a team of academic staff, experts, and practitioners from the media sector from Western Balkans and Europe settled the foundation for the development of a masters program in investigative journalism and discussed its structure and target audiences.

This collaborative effort aimed to shape the curriculum of the program and underscored the significance of such an initiative as an investment in the field of journalism. Valuable insights were gleaned from lessons learned through the examination of existing programs across Europe. Currently, only one Faculty from the Western Balkan region has initiated such programme, and its practices and experience were taken into consideration during the workshop.

Discussions encompassed crucial aspects, including identifying the intended audiences for the program, determining the relevant topics to be included in the curriculum, addressing its cross-border dimensions, formulating its structural framework and identifying suitable accreditation avenues.

These discussions served as a comprehensive exploration of the fundamental elements necessary for the successful establishment and implementation of a master’s program.

“Through the project Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey, BIRN aims to improve quality and professionalism in journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey through the development of a sustainable system for support of the current journalists and the future generations of journalists. Developing an academic masters program in investigative journalism is long-term investment in future journalists,” Marija Vasilevska, the Project Coordinator, said.

After the Budapest meeting, extensive consultations with academic institutions in the region are to take place. These will play a pivotal role in the development and implementation of a pilot program for academic training in investigative journalism. Simultaneously, a roadmap will be crafted to guide the formal accreditation process for the Master of Arts, MA, program in the future.

To facilitate progress, an advisory board has been established by the Central European University. This comprises a dedicated team of academic staff and practitioners who are committed to collaboratively shaping the curriculum for the program. Their collective expertise will be instrumental in ensuring the program’s robust foundation and alignment with the evolving needs of the journalistic landscape.

Anticipation surrounds the forthcoming stages of this initiative, with the expectation that the master’s program will not only address the current challenges faced by the industry but also foster a new generation of skilled journalists equipped to navigate the complexities of the media landscape.

As this collaborative effort unfolds, it is poised to make a lasting impact on the field of investigative journalism, nurturing a community of professionals dedicated to upholding the principles of truth, transparency, and ethical reporting.

Murat Ağırel, Doğu Eroğlu and Çiğdem Toker were selected from many colleagues as this year’s winners for their stories published in 2022 exposing crime and institutional failures to protect citizens’ rights.

The jury consisted of İsmail Bezgin, a reporter and news-broadcasting manager; Mehmet Vecdi Seviğ, a former expert in the Ministry of Finance’s Inspection Board who later transitioned into journalism, with working experience in Yankı magazine, ANKA news agency, Dünya newspaper, Cumhuriyet newspaper and Başkent TV; and Göksel Bozkurt, a reporter, news director and columnist, President of the Parliament Journalists Association and Executive Editor of ANKA news agency.

The first prize went to Murat Ağırel (Yeniçağ Gazetesi) for his story “Türkiye in the Grip of Drugs,” which unveiled the hidden web of crime that stretches from Türkiye to Europe, all while being concealed by influential figures within the country.

Second prize went to Doğu Eroğlu for “BTK-gate with Documents,” a thought-provoking tale that shed light on how constitutionally guaranteed freedom of communication is under siege by the Information Technologies Authority, BTK.

Third prize went to Çiğdem Toker (Sözcü Gazetesi), who uncovered the shocking damage done to the National Garden by dismantling the runway of Ataturk Airport.

Marija Vasilevka, Project Manager from BIRN, greeted all guests and highlighted the importance of BIRN’s partnership with the Association of Journalists from Türkiye.

“Investigative journalism is not an easy job to do, especially in the current situation in the world. But it is an important tool to hold institutions accountable and contribute to the development of democracy. Our project seeks to create a sustainable system for supporting journalists to produce quality and independent news,” Vasilevska said.

She handed the award to the third prize winner. The Vice-president of the Association of Journalists and a representative from the EU Delegation to Türkiye handed the second and first prizes respectively.

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2023 is part of the project “Strengthening Quality Journalism in Western Balkans and Türkiye II”, funded by EU. This aims to recognise and promote outstanding achievements in investigative journalism as well as improve the visibility of quality journalism in the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), in collaboration with the European Climate Foundation, will reward exceptional journalistic pieces focusing on sustainable energy in the Western Balkans through the award.

The award’s purpose is to honour journalists whose work published in media outlets from September 2022 to September 2023 has actively encouraged excellence and innovation in the field of sustainable energy.

The award celebrates excellence in journalism and fosters a sense of community and collaboration among those committed to informing the public about critical environmental issues.

Individual journalists, or a team of journalists, from the six Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) can apply.

Applications should include journalistic pieces published in print, radio, TV or online format. Submissions in other formats, including podcasts, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram investigative series, are also welcome. Cross-border stories in which journalists from different countries collaborate are also eligible for this call. Among the topics expected to be covered are ones related to renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, sustainable urban planning, policy, and regulations related to sustainable energy, and others.

The best three stories selected by the international jury will receive prizes. The total prize fund for this year is €6,000. The first prize winner will receive €3,000, the second will receive €2,000 and the third, €1,000.

To apply, complete the Application Form in English no later than 19/11/2023.

Following the selection process, by the end of 2023, BIRN will organise the award ceremony in one of the Western Balkan countries.

More about the call can be found here.

The Regional award was created and awarded for the first time this year with the goal of fostering collaboration and supporting stories with regional impact produced by journalists from different countries from the Western Balkans region and Türkiye.

The jury consisted of Brent Sadler, a multi-award-winning journalist, including a BAFTA for Gulf War coverage and an Overseas Press Club of America Award for reporting from South Lebanon, with 18 years of working experience in CNN; Janine Gibson, an editor of FT Weekend, and editor-in-Chief of BuzzFeed UK and Deputy Editor of The Guardian, who oversaw Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Edward Snowden leaks; and Marko Milosavljević, a well-known academic at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The first prize went the journalists from the Investigative Reporting Lab from North Macedonia – Sashka Cvetkovska, Elena Mitrevska Cuckovska, Maja Jovanovska and Trifun Sitnikovski – for their documentary Bad Blood, which shows the deadly effects of state-sponsored COVID profiteering. This made them double winners; they received the award for best story also on a national level in North Macedonia.

The second prize went to Dragan Stanimirović from Al Jazeera Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for his story “Battle for Neretva II and III”. This documentary series is about the Bosnian government’s plans to build hydropower plants in the Neretva basin and the struggle of activists and citizens to protect their rivers.

Third prize went to Sasa Dragojlo from Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN,  for “With Police Connections, Serbian-Syrian Translator Turned People-Smuggler”, a story about an organised criminal group that smuggled refugees and migrants of all nationalities, and illegally organised the crossing of the borders of Croatia, Bosnia and Hungary.

“I am really glad that I was awarded for this story. The investigation I conducted was highly demanding and long-lasting, while the scope of evidence was quite diversified – from video evidence, secretly taped audio recordings of criminals, to interviews with insiders in the people smuggling business and security officers,” Dragojlo said.

He said the fact it is a story about the fate of refugees and migrants makes the award even more important, emphasizing that due to global problems migration to Europe will likely not stop but increase in the future.

“Migrants are the most endangered category on the planet. They do not have a territory that they can consider their own, they are not in the system, they have no documents that show they belong somewhere, and they are left to the chaos ruled by violent smuggling gangs and corrupt policemen with a license to beat them,” Dragojlo concluded.

Sadler, as representative from the jury, announced the winners, while the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Johann Sattler, handed the certificates to the winners.

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2023 is part of the project “Strengthening Quality Journalism in Western Balkans and Türkiye II”. This aims to recognise and promote outstanding achievements in investigative journalism as well as improve the visibility of quality journalism in the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

Journalists selected to participate in BIRN’s digital rights reporting training in Sarajevo, Bosnia, from September 26 to 28, came from various backgrounds.

The topics ranged from digital rights and their impact on journalism to multimedia storytelling using contemporary tools, employing the power of open-source intelligence, OSINT, in journalism, techniques, best practices in data journalism, fact-checking and verification techniques for digital rights reporting, among others.

Two journalists from Kosovo were unable to join the group due to clashes in the north of Kosovo but will be trained online.

The trainees singled out sessions on how to stay safe online when reporting on digital rights violations and fact-checking and verification techniques for digital rights reporting as particularly useful in their future work.

BIRN’s training program gave the participants a comprehensive understanding of the relevant issues around digital rights reporting, and allowed them to pitch story ideas during the workshop session on the last day of the training.

As a result, ten digital rights-related stories by trainees will be produced in collaboration with Balkan Insight’s editors, who will serve as their mentors. The trainees will also receive a stipend for their work on the stories. Upon editorial approval, these will be published by Balkan Insight in the coming months.

As part of the program, participants also visited BIRN’s exhibition in the Historical Museum in Sarajevo based on the recent project “Surveillance States”, which gave them insights into the experiences of journalists targeted by state-sponsored surveillance.

Journalists are key in raising public awareness and driving change in digital rights reporting. This training gave journalists the skills and knowledge they need to produce impactful stories to contribute to a more informed public debate and so protect and promote digital rights in the Balkans.

Numerous reports from international rights and media, civil society, international organisations, and BIRN’s own annual digital rights violations reports, indicate a worrying situation regarding digital rights in the Balkans.

The reports emphasize the need for continuous efforts to enhance the protection and promotion of these rights by improving journalists’ abilities to produce quality reporting on these issues.

Training in digital rights reporting in Sarajevo is part of BIRN’s attempts to educate, inform, and empower journalists interested in reporting on digital rights in the region.

The training was made possible through the support of the United Nations Democracy Fund.