Tag: Serbia

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.

What she didn’t expect back then was again to see people fighting for democracy and institutions on the streets of Serbia – or the whole world to slip into a post-truth era.

“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.

In addition to being BIRN Serbia director, Dragana is Regional Manager of the Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence programme.

“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.

“Together, we’ve produced world-class long-form journalism on a range of topics as wide as the cover-up of toxic leakages in the Czech Republic, to Belarusian hooligans seeking asylum in Poland, pro-family movements in Croatia, or the ethical dilemmas around Greece’s booming IVF industry.

“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.

“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.

Journalists’ associations have called for a proper investigation after a Serbian Progressive Party activist attacked BIRN journalist Sasa Dragojlo while he was reporting on a protest in Belgrade’s Zvezdara district on Sunday.

The attack happened in front of several police officers, who removed the assailant but ignored calls to check his identity.

The incident happened while local residents were demonstrating against Serbian Progressive Party activists who had set up promotional stands outside an open-air market to attract new members to the ruling party. The promotional effort, which came amid ongoing mass protests across Serbia about official corruption and negligence, sparked anger among some locals.

Before the assault, Dragojlo had identified himself as a journalist, which only seemed to provoke the attacker further. The incident was caught on video, recorded by Dragojlo and by other witnesses at the scene.

“This kind of attack would be unacceptable against any citizen, and the police should have responded. But in this case, it’s clear the attack was escalated because I was on duty as a journalist,” Dragojlo said.

“You can clearly hear me identifying myself on the recording. The attacker reacted aggressively, saying, ‘Oh, you’re a journalist, huh?’ before lunging at me,” he added.

Despite presenting his press credentials, Dragojlo’s request for the police to identify the attacker was ignored.

“The officers were more focused on me than on the attacker, which only reinforces the impression that they weren’t just failing to do their job – they were biased,” he said.

The case has been reported to prosecutors through the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, NUNS. Both NUNS and the Journalists’ Association of Serbia, UNS, condemned the attack and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

“This was an attack on a journalist while on assignment – one who had clearly identified himself,” said Dragana Zarkovic Obradovic, director of BIRN Serbia.

“We’ve reported the incident and are closely watching how the authorities respond, not just to the attack itself, but also to the fact that police officers on the scene failed to identify the attacker. If there’s no proper response, it sends the message that attacks on journalists are acceptable,” she added.

Protests have been continuing in Serbia for several months, sparked by anger and grief about the Novi Sad Railway Station disaster in November, which left 16 people dead. The student-led protest movement has become the biggest challenge to the rule of President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party since the party came to power in 2012.

Aleksa graduated in journalism and communications at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade. As one of the youngest members of our network, he feels “a sense of responsibility, respect for the organisation, and a desire to prove myself.

“We, the young members, are here to push the organisation towards innovation and open it up to new trends. On the other hand, we stand on the shoulders of experienced media professionals, and personally, I strive to learn and absorb as much as I can from them”, he says.

He enrolled in journalism largely because of the investigative aspect.

“After my first job in marketing, I was at a crossroads and decided to pursue investigative journalism. Even during my studies, I attended a panel where I listened to my now-colleague from BIRN. His story completely intrigued me at the time – the investigative aspect and the adrenaline that comes with it,” he recalls.

When he started working at BIRN, he wasn’t initially that attracted to the topic of the misuse of personal data of citizens, journalists and activists. But it grew on him.

“This topic was simply assigned to me as part of a project. However, through discussions with my editor, I soon realised how interesting this could be to the public – especially since, at that time, no one in Serbia was specifically covering these issues; the topic was just emerging.

“The more I investigated, the more personally connected I became to these topics. I realised how difficult it is to obtain information, which, in turn, motivated and challenged me to break through. A few months later, my first big discovery came – the encrypted phones for EPS (Serbia’s state electricity company).

“Throughout the process, the most valuable thing for me was learning how to uncover and investigate. The final product, the investigative stories, came as a natural consequence of that learning process, and over time, it became easier,” he says.

Recently, the Novi Sad School of Journalism awarded him the Marina Kovacev Annual Award in the Best Investigative Journalism, Young Journalists Category, for his work in the above-mentioned field.

“For me, this award means recognition from my peers, which I deeply appreciate. Investigative journalists often get so immersed in their next investigation that they forget what they’ve already accomplished – they don’t stop to smell the roses or reflect on their achievements in the constant pursuit of the next big story,” he says.

“This is not just my award – it was given to me for my contributions, but those contributions were made possible with the support of many people: colleagues, sources, experts, institutions… I would love to see more young investigative journalists every year because they are greatly needed, and competition is healthy,” Aleksa adds.

One of the main BIRN programmes is Reporting and Monitoring Human Rights and Freedoms, focusing on Digital Rights. BIRN Serbia often reports about this and about technology in general. Aleksa explains what some of the commonest digital/online scams are, and how to detect them.

“Mostly phishing, Ponzi, and pyramid schemes. For years now, various phishing and Ponzi scams have been spreading via SMS and the internet. And those schemes still thrive in Serbia; some have been running for years, even though it’s common knowledge that they are scams.

“Serbia is not unique in this regard; digital fraud always finds fertile ground in countries that have a weak response to these issues. And Serbia is known to be one of them. The fact that all of this has gone unpunished and unchecked for years speaks volumes about the weakness and negligence of institutions. Since individuals are mostly left to fend for themselves, people need to educate themselves and develop awareness of cybersecurity threats. Digital literacy is often the first step,” he adds.

Digital supervision is sensitive, especially in Serbia, where the government seems oriented towards suppressing critical voices in the country.

“Digital channels and technologies are highly useful tools for this purpose. However, security services should primarily focus on actual threats, which is what citizens pay them for, while the regime should respond to public criticism professionally, civilly, and in accordance with the law. Digital repression and electronic surveillance of activists, students, civil society representatives, and journalists are anything but lawful,” Aleksa continues.

Although technology is the core of his work, he likes to spend his spare time away from it.

“I enjoy visiting galleries, film screenings, going to basketball games, reading classics and exercising. I own a parrot, and when the opportunity arises, I like to make a mess in my apartment with acrylic paint or clay. Lately, I’ve also developed an interest in making sweets and Indian food,” he says.

“One of the ‘downsides’ of investigative journalism is that it’s addictive; it constantly tries to consume a journalist’s time, and the real challenge is resisting that and carving out time for yourself. I once heard a saying along those lines: ‘If journalism is the only thing you know, then you’re not a good journalist,’” he concludes.

Serbia’s Commissioner for the Protection of Equality on November 15 presented the Annual Media Award in the category of online media to Dragana Prica Kovacevic for her article, “Silenced By Scarcity: How Poverty Excludes Serbian Women From Civil Society”.

Prica Kovacevic received second prize for her reporting on the “feminisation of poverty” – a growing trend of poverty she identified that disproportionately affects women, particularly single mothers, retirees and those living in rural areas.

The article was produced as a part of BIRN’s Reporting Democracy project granting scheme, aimed at supporting journalists by commissioning stories and providing grants for in-depth features and investigations.

Serbia’s Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Annual Media Award was established nine years ago and is traditionally presented to mark International Day of Tolerance, with the aim of recognising journalism that has contributed to the fight against discrimination, the promotion of equality and tolerance, and the suppression of prejudices and stereotypes towards minority, marginalised and vulnerable groups.

BIRN journalists were awarded with three prizes at the ninth annual EU Investigative Journalism Award on October 9 in Belgrade.

The first prize went to a team from the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS) – Ivana Milosavljevic, Teodora Curcic, and Vladimir Kostic – for their investigation “CINS in SNS Call Center: Hostess Agency, Vote Buying, and Millions in Cash.”

Gordana Andric and Aleksandar Djordjevic of BIRN received second prize for their investigation into a widespread network of individuals who embezzled millions of euros from the state budget through public competitions, exposing systemic failures in the mechanism intended to fund public interest projects.

The third prize was shared by Radmilo Markovic, for his investigation into illegal construction and legalisations, and Andjela Milivojevic for her work on image-based sexual abuse of women.

Markovic’s article on illegal construction reveals years of systemic legal violations by investors and municipal authorities in Belgrade. Hundreds of new buildings constructed without permits during and after 2015 were legalized without legal grounds. This process led to the legalization of nearly half a million square meters, damaging the public budget, and damaging the quality of life in the capital while enriching a few individuals. In his months-long investigation, Markovic identified over 300 buildings with a total area exceeding 450,000 square meters that were legalized without clear legal justification.

Milivojevic, in her investigation of the devastating impact of unauthorized sharing of women’s intimate photos, interviewed over 25 women and girls from Serbia about the shock, fear, and shame they experienced. She also mapped out 16 groups on the social media platform Telegram that shared private photos and videos of Serbian women, with the largest group having almost 50,000 members.

This year’s jury included journalist Ljubica Gojgic, the Secretary General of Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia Tamara Filipović Stevanovic, and Perica Gunjic, editor of Cenzolovka.

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism was established in 2015. It is given for outstanding journalistic efforts in six Western Balkan countries and Turkey, promoting media freedom and highlighting the importance of investigative work in countries where independent media play a crucial role.