BIRN Macedonia Launches Media Ownership Monitor Database

The Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) database for North Macedonia, with information about 11 television channels, five radio stations, 13 online media outlets and five newspapers, was launched in Skopje on December 14 by the non-governmental organisation Global Media Register, GMR and BIRN Macedonia.

The database covering media in North Macedonia is available in English and Macedonian, and will soon be available in Albanian too.

Over the past six months, BIRN’s team, with the help of experts and in cooperation with GMR, collected publicly available data and financial information about the media outlets and their owners, as well as details of the owners’ business connections.

The database findings mapped high, medium and low-risk areas for media pluralism. They indicated that there is a high risk that media ownership, audiences and readerships and markets are overly concentrated.

The findings also showed a noticeable gender imbalance in the industry.The most influential Macedonian media are mainly run by men, for whom the media they own is often not their main business.

David Geer, the EU ambassador to North Macedonia, opened the event with a speech emphasising the public’s right to know who owns the media that produces the news they consume.

This was followed by a discussion moderated by Ana Petruseva, BIRN Macedonia’s director. The speakers included Olaf Steenfadt, GMR’s founder and managing director, Snezana Trpevska, co-founder of the Resis Institute, Dragan Sekulovski, the director of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, ZNM, and Magdalena Dovleva, a representative from the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services.

They spoke about the key problems facing the country’s media industry, the legal changes that will bring back state advertising in the media, subsidies for print media and the dilemmas surrounding the announced regulation of online media.

MOM was initiated by the German branch of Reporters without Borders with the aim of defending freedom of the media, as well as the right to inform and to be informed everywhere in the world.

In 2019, the project grew into the Global Media Registry, GMR, an independent non-profit organisation registered under German law. In Western Balkan countries, GMR cooperates with BIRN. Along with North Macedonia, MOM databases have been published by BIRN in Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project is funded by the EU.

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 Macedonia Starts Investigative Journalism Training Program

BIRN Macedonia started a series of trainings for 12 young journalists. The training started with a three-day course held between September 29 and October 1 in the North Macedonia’s mountain resort of Mavrovo.

The course was the first in a series of five different training modules that will take place over the next year. The next courses will be held in November, February and April and end with a summer school that will take place in mid-2024 where the journalists attending can acquire skills and techniques that will prepare them for work in journalism. The programme also includes mentoring support.

The first training in Mavrovo consisted of a mix of theoretical lectures and practical exercises. The idea behind the approach was to introduce the participants to important journalistic concepts, while allowing them to apply that knowledge in a practical way.

The topics covered were: public interest vs the interest of public, ethics in journalism, media genres, sources of information, news writing and interview techniques, as well as the language tips for journalistic writing and reporting. All trainings were held by BIRN Macedonia’s editors and journalists.

The weekend wrapped up with an exercise that synthesized knowledge from the training sessions: the participants were asked to produce a short news article based on an announcement from a public institution. Through this, they put into the practice the skills they had gained over the first training module.

 

BIRN Journalist Frosina Dimeska Wins EU Investigative Award

Frosina Dimeska, a journalist at Prizma/BIRN, has won second prize from the European Union for her outstanding investigative journalism in North Macedonia. The awards ceremony took place on September 28 in Skopje.

Dimeska’s work exposed a significant scandal involving a controversial Ukrainian figure, Oleksandr Onishchenko, who managed to obtain a North Macedonian passport despite being under sanctions from both the United States and Ukraine, where authorities sought his extradition.

The judges recognised the impact of Dimeska’s investigation, leading to the government revoking Onishchenko’s North Macedonian citizenship. However, no individuals have been held accountable for the scandal as of now.

In expressing her gratitude, Dimeska stated: “This award serves as motivation for me and is a testament to Prisma editorial team’s commitment to continued in-depth investigative journalism.”

First prize went to the documentary Bad Blood, produced by the Investigative Reporting Laboratory IRL.

Additionally, “KOD”, a series of video stories aired on TV Telma, secured third place.

The awards, presented by EU Ambassador David Geer in Skopje, celebrate exceptional journalistic work produced over the past year.

EU Awards for best Investigative Journalism in North Macedonia Announced

On September 28 in Europe House in Skopje, the winners of the EU Awards for Investigative Journalism in North Macedonia were announced.

Journalists from IRL Macedonia (Saska Cvetkovska, Elena Mitrevska Cuckovska, Maja Jovanovska, Trifun Sitnikovski), Frosina Dimeska, Miomir Serafinovic, Snezana Lupevska were selected from many colleagues as this year`s winners for their stories published in 2022.

The jury consisted of Konstantin Testorides, a journalist with more than 40 years of experience based in Skopje, with background as a correspondent for Tanjug News Agency and Associated Press and with a working experience in various news outlets as journalist and editor in TV stations and news agencies; Filip Rudić, a journalist based in Belgrade, currently working for the regional TV channel N1 in Serbia who also won the Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism and was a finalist for the Global Shining Light Award with the Centre for Investigative Journalism of Serbia; and Boris Georgievski, a Macedonian-German journalist currently serving as the Head of the Macedonian Program with the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW). He worked as a reporter, editor and correspondent for various news outlets  and was the winner of the Investigative journalism award in 2008 and the EU Award for investigative journalism 2016.

The first prize went to Saska Cvetkovska, Elena Mitrevska Cuckovska, Maja Jovanovska and Trifun Sitnikovski from IRL Macedonia for their story Bad blood / Нечиста крв which shed light on the treatment of patients in a private hospital in North Macedonia during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Second prize went to Frosina Dimeska from Prizma for the story A fugitive Ukrainian politician under US sanctions received Macedonian citizenship / Избеган украински политичар под санкции на САД, добил македонско државјанство. Following publication of the story, North Macedonia revoked the citizenship of the Ukrainian politician.

Third prize was given to Miomir Serafinovikj and Snezana Lupevska Sozen who did a series of stories: The state did not collect money from a convicted crime, (Un)successful confiscation of Transmet / КОД: Државата не наплати пари од пресудено кривично дело-(Не)успешната конфискација на Трансмет as part of the investigative show KOD broadcasted on TV Telma.

The awards were given by Ambassador David Geer, Head of the Delegation of the European Union who highlighted the importance of investigative journalism. A representative from the jury, Konstantin Testorides, provided a detailed explanation of the award selection process and announced the recipients of each awarded position.

More information can be found here.

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.

The project is funded by the European Union, and it is implemented by a consortium composed of Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – BIRN Hub, Central European University (CEU) – Hungary, the Association of Journalists (AJ) – Türkiye, Thomson Media (TM) – Germany, University Goce Delcev Stip (UGD) – North Macedonia, The Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) – North Macedonia, Media Association of South-East Europe (MASE) – Montenegro, and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Kosovo (BIRN Kosovo).

 

 

BIRN Macedonia Holds Digital Rights Training for Journalists

BIRN Macedonia organized a training on Digital Rights for Journalists between June 8-10 in Mavrovo, North Macedonia. The training was designed to shed light on digital rights and equip journalists with skills and tools to cover stories stemming from this increasingly important topic.

Trainers included prominent legal and privacy experts as well as experts for FOIA and senior BIRN journalists. All training sessions were interactive and included numerous examples and exercises. The participants came from various North Macedonian media outlets including Lice v lice, Koha, MRT, Klan TV, Pari and Duma.

The training comprised seven sessions: Introduction to digital rights; privacy and protection of personal data; public interest versus protection of personal data; how to use open databases; how BIRN categorizes and documents violations of digital rights; fact-checking tools and techniques; and misinformation and manipulations on social networks. A separate session was dedicated to a case study about identity theft.

Each session included theoretical and practical elements that provided the participants with a better understanding of the concepts presented. The participants found the training to be highly informative and beneficial and they particularly appreciated the practical nature of the sessions, which allowed them to apply the knowledge gained during the training immediately. They also commended the trainers’ expertise and ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and concise manner.

The training was organized as part of the “Reporting Digital Rights and Freedoms” project, funded by the European Union.

 

 

 

Digital Rights Training for Macedonian Journalists: Applications Open

What are digital rights, who is violating them and how, and why is it important to monitor and report on them? How can journalists recognise problems in this area, prepare stories and get mentoring and financial support for their development and publication?

BIRN is organising a three-day training course for journalists, designed to respond to growing concerns about the violation of digital rights in the Balkans. The training, which will be held in Mavrovo from June 8-10, 2023, will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of digital rights, focusing on reporting violations, content blocking, manipulation and propaganda in the digital realm.

With technology evolving rapidly, it’s essential for journalists to stay up-to-date on the latest methods and strategies to uncover and appropriately report on digital rights violations. Numerous reports from international human rights organisations, media organisations, civil society organisations and international institutions indicate a worrying situation regarding digital rights in the Balkans, emphasising the need for continuous efforts to improve the protection and promotion of these rights, but also to improve journalists’ abilities to produce good reporting on these issues. Although many countries in the region have regulatory frameworks that formally address these issues, challenges remain, such as online surveillance, censorship and data privacy issues.

Frequent cyber-attacks and online harassment also threaten the safety of many people, including journalists, who are often the target of online attacks. However, many journalists from the region may not be fully aware of the extent of digital rights violations or the underlying legal and technological aspects that lead to such violations.

BIRN’s training course will enable ten selected journalists from North Macedonia to gain a comprehensive understanding of the relevant issues, helping them to identify and report on digital rights violations more effectively. Journalists play a key role in raising public awareness and driving change. This course will give journalists the necessary skills and knowledge and enable them to produce impactful stories that can contribute to a more informed public debate and ultimately lead to policy changes that protect and promote digital rights in the Balkans.

Who can apply?

Any journalist from North Macedonia who is interested in digital rights and has previous journalistic experience. A selection committee will evaluate the applications and select ten (10) journalists who will participate in the training.

How to apply?

Submit the following application form and your CV to [email protected] no later than May 25, 2023 at 5pm CET with the subject line: Digital Rights Reporting Training for Journalists North Macedonia.

Place and date:

The training course will take place in Mavrovo, North Macedonia, from June 8 to June 10, 2023. The organisers will fully cover the costs of accommodation, food and transport for all participants. The working language of the training is Macedonian and Serbian.

What to expect from the training?

The training will provide the selected journalists with basic skills and knowledge to effectively investigate and report on digital rights violations in a time of dynamic technological advances. The training will cover various aspects of digital rights reporting, including identifying and collecting digital rights violations, categorising these violations and reporting on individual cases and broader trends.

The training will offer valuable educational insights and provide an opportunity to connect with fellow journalists and experts working in the field of digital rights.

A unique opportunity after training

After completing the training, journalists will have the opportunity to pitch their story ideas to BIRN. Selected journalists will receive on-the-job mentoring and financial support to research and apply their newly-acquired skills to implement their ideas on cases that involve infringements, content blocking, filtering, manipulation or propaganda in the digital environment.

 

Отворен повик: БИРН обука за дигитални права за новинари

Што се дигитални права, кој и како ги прекршува, и зошто е важно да се следи и да се известува за нивната примена? Како да ги препознаете проблемите во оваа област, да подготвите стории и да добиете менторска и финансиска поддршка за нивната изработка и објавување?

БИРН организира тридневна обука наменета за новинари, a дизајнирана да одговори на зголемената загриженост за кршењето на дигиталните права на Балканот, Обуката, која ќе се одржи во Маврово од 08-10 Јуни 2023 година, ќе им овозможи на учесниците сеопфатно разбирање на дигиталните права, фокусирајќи се на пријавување прекршувања, блокирање содржини, манипулации и пропаганда во дигиталната област.

Поради брзиот развој на технологијата од суштинско значење е новинарите да останат во тек со најновите методи и стратегии за откривање и соодветно известување за кршењето на дигиталните права. Бројни извештаи од меѓународни организации за човекови права, медиумски организации, граѓански организации и меѓународни институции укажуваат на загрижувачка ситуација во однос на дигиталните права на Балканот, нагласувајќи ја потребата од континуирани напори за подобрување на заштитата и промоцијата на овие права, но и за подобрување на новинарските способности за креирање на адекватен извештај за овие прашања. И покрај тоа што многу земји од регионот имаат регулаторни рамки кои формално ги решаваат овие прашања, предизвиците и понатаму постојат, како што се онлајн надзорот, цензурата и прашањата за приватноста на податоците.

Честите сајбер напади и онлајн вознемирување, исто така, ја загрозуваат безбедноста и на многумина вклучувајќи ги и новинарите, кои често се мета на онлајн напади. Сепак, многу новинари од регионот можеби не се целосно свесни за степенот на прекршување на дигиталните права или за основните правни и технолошки аспекти кои водат до вакви прекршувања.

Обуката на БИРН ќе им овозможи на десет избрани новинари од Северна Македонија сеопфатно да ги разберат релевантните прашања, помагајќи им да ги идентификуваат и поефикасно да известуваат за кршењето на дигиталните права. Новинарите играат клучна улога во подигање на јавната свест и поттикнување на промени. Со оваа обука тие ќе стекнат потребни вештини и знаења и ќе им се овозможи да продуцираат влијателни стории кои можат да придонесат за поинформирана јавна дебата и на крајот да доведат до промени на политиките кои ги штитат и промовираат дигиталните права на Балканот.

Кој може да аплицира?

Сите новинари од Северна Македонија кои покажуваат интерес во областа на дигиталните права и поседуваат претходно новинарско искуство. Комисијата ќе ги оцени апликациите и ќе избере десет (10) новинари кои ќе учествуваат на обуката

Како да аплицирате?

За да аплицирате, доставете го следниот формулар за апликација заедно со вашето CV најдоцна до 25 Мај 2023 со наслов: Обука за известување за дигитални права за новинари на [email protected] .

Место и датум:                                                                 

Обуката ќе се одржи во Маврово 08-10 Јуни 2023 година. Организаторите целосно ќе ги покријат трошоците за сместување, храна и превоз за сите учесници. Работен јазик на обуката е македонски и српски.

Што да очекувате од обуката?

Обуката ќе им обезбеди на избраните новинари основни вештини и знаења за ефективно да истражуваат и известуваат за кршење на дигиталните права во сферата на динамичното напредување на технологијата. Обуката ќе опфати различни аспекти на известувањето за дигиталните права, вклучително и идентификување и собирање прекршувања на дигиталните права, категоризирање на овие повреди и известување за поединечни случаи и пошироки трендови.

Обуката ќе понуди вредни едукативни сознанија и ќе обезбеди можност за поврзување со колеги новинари и експерти кои работат во областа на дигиталните права.

Уникатна можност по обуката

По завршувањето на обуката, новинарите ќе имаат можност да ги пренесат своите идеи за стории до БИРН. Избраните новинари ќе добијат менторство на работното место и финансиска поддршка за истражување и примена на нивните новостекнати вештини за спроведување на нивните идеи за случаи кои вклучуваат прекршување, блокирање содржина, филтрирање, манипулации и пропаганда во дигиталната средина.

 

 

 

 

BIRN Macedonia Publishes ‘Media Uncovered’ Database

New database will give the public essential information about the media on which they rely for current events and developments in the country and worldwide.

BIRN Macedonia has published a new database focusing on media. About 30 media were selected in the first stage – those seen as the most popular according to rankings and public perception. They are divided into categories, TV, radio, print or websites.

Each media outlet has its own character and identity, determined by their ownership structure, editorial policy, the team working in it and its history. These were the criteria the database was built on, in order to become a source of information and a place for preserving the testimonies of and on key players in this industry.

Media Uncovered is a hybrid between a classic database and journalistic investigations, and is designed to help compensate for the lack of transparency and accuracy in data on the media.

The database will expand with new media outlets (local and regional) and with new information. With the first group of around 30 outlets, BIRN laid the foundations to which new profiles and new journalistic investigations will be added on hidden ownerships and undetected influences.

The database will give the public essential information about the media on which they rely for current events and developments in the country and worldwide. The quality of information directly influences citizens’ democratic decisions, their acceptance or disapproval of the public policies, as well as their contribution to achieving the common good.

Media Uncovered is a long-term endeavor aiming to collect, filter and present data on the media scene, which is publicly available, but rarely gets in the spotlight and is therefore often forgotten or ignored. Link: mediumi.prizma.mk

EU Awards Presented for Best Investigative Journalism in North Macedonia

Winning stories tackled tragic fate of Balkan lynx, pandemic profiteers and over-employment in a government ministry.

The EU Awards for Investigative Journalism in 2021 for North Macedonia were presented on Wednesday at the Aleksandar Palace Hotel in Skopje.

“Investigative journalism is of great importance because it contributes to the protection of the public interest and demands accountability from those in power,” Julian Vasalo, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Skopje, said at the ceremony.

“Journalism as a profession has a responsible task to inform the public in an objective manner and at the same time to express the variety of viewpoints that appear in public and of course to demands accountability,” he added.

“Brave journalists are those who investigate in a brave manner and put questions that other do not dare to ask and in that way make their societies better,” he continued.

The jury, comprising jury head Marina Kostova and jury members Tamara Chausidis and Milica Saric, had a challenge evaluating the 13 shortlisted applications.

“While deciding, we were guided by given criteria that assess the relevance of the stories, their quality, originality and professional journalistic integrity,” Kostova said.

According to Kostova, the stories of the finalists are valuable documents that will stay as a resource for further investigations in their fields, but also pointed out that all the stories are independent journalistic efforts financed mainly by donations and not mainstream media.

First prize went to the young journalists of Radio MOF, comprising Jasmina Jakimova, Bojan Sasevski, Daniel Evrosimoski and Emilija Petreska, for their investigative story, “Following the Balkan Lynx’s Footsteps – an Investigative Story in Two Sequels”, which the jury called a product of outstanding research.

“It is disappointing that even after more than a year since we published the story, the institutions did not react to the discovery we literally gave them on a plate. What kind of future do we have in mind if we continue to destroy eco-systems, to destroy the living environment of the Balkan lynx and the natural heritage we have, and, by that, destroy ourselves,” Petreska from Radio MOF said.

She used the opportunity to send another “appeal to the institutions and the public not to allow the Balkan lynx to stay only on the five denar coin, but to preserve it in the mountains”.

Second prize went to the team from Investigative Reporting Lab – Macedonia, for a series of investigations into the medical equipment business in the wake of the pandemic, “Pandemic profiteering – The Other Side of the Covid-19 Story”.

“These investigations are a product of the whole team of IRL. I hope that this story will touch those in competence and that it changes something,” Aleksandra Denkovska from IRL said, after receiving the award.

Her colleague, David Ilievski, said the biggest prize for any investigative story is for it to contribute to significant change, but added: “Unfortunately, not a single one of these investigations brought the institutions to the point of doing something.”

Third prize went to, “Only 44 work, while 1,410 people receive salary”, an investigative series about the work of a government ministry, by Kristina Ozimec and Vlatko Stojanovski.

“This is first award for Pina, a small media house that works on investigative stories. It is also important that the story was produced in cooperation with other organizations like Samo prasaj and the Institute of communication Studies and that with small resources we succeeded in producing independent journalism,” Ozimec said.

Her colleague Stojanovski added that the story was dedicated to the Ministry of Political Systems and the way it functioned.

“The ministry served as a recruiting centre for employing staff for whom professionalism was not important, only their ethnic background, and which cost the state 100 million euros. I hope that we have contributed to resolving one problem,” Stojanovski said.

The EU awards have the overall goal of celebrating and promoting the outstanding achievements of investigative journalists from the Western Balkan countries and Turkey, as well as improving the visibility of quality investigative journalism in these countries among the public.

The award for investigative journalism is awarded through the EU-funded project “Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey” in 2019, 2020, 2021 in the EU candidate and potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey, for investigative stories published between 2018 and 2020.

 

BIRN Wins Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Award

To mark World Press Freedom Day on Sunday, campaign group Reporters Without Borders Austria awarded the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network with its annual Press Freedom Award – A Signal for Europe.

The Vienna office of the Reporters Without Borders announced that the BIRN Network has been awarded for its courageous investigative journalism in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, and for its dedication to the fight for human rights, democracy and justice for the victims of war crimes.

The award also honours BIRN’s founder, Gordana Igric, who served as the organisation’s regional director until May 2018, for her pioneering work in establishing the network.

“We are honoured by this acknowledgment from our Austrian colleagues. It comes at a critical time for our region, where media are often hampered by political or business influences and lack the resources to report beyond their own country’s borders,” said BIRN’s network director, Marija Ristic.

“The award gives us more motivation to continue with our uncompromising reporting despite continuous attacks on our journalists,” Ristic added.

“We are also thankful for the honour given to our founder, Gordana Igric, who had a vision of a free regional media network and paved the way for a new generation of journalists and editors who continue to champion the values of human rights and democracy,” she said.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network was established in 2004 as a network of organisations across the Balkans promoting freedom of speech, human rights and democratic values.

BIRN has country-based organisations in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. It also works editorially in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.

BIRN’s structure has the advantage of combining local expertise with unique regional cooperation.

The Press Freedom Award – A Signal for Europe is given every year by the Austrian branch of Reporters Without Borders, a leading international non-profit and non-governmental organisation that safeguards the right to freedom of information. Its mandate is to promote free, independent and pluralistic journalism and to defend media workers.