This year’s seven in-depth articles were researched and written by nine BFJE Alumni Network journalists from across the region.
Juliana Koleva and Kostas Kallergis investigated Greek and Bulgarian baby-selling routes, Lina Vdovii wrote about Romanian international adoptees who try to find their biological families via social media, Lavdim Hamidi covered the problems of privatization in Kosovo, and Nela Lazarevic wrote a story about Mamula Island in Montenegro, whose future is causing much controversy between locals and the government.
After New Year, more BFJE Alumni Network will be published on Balkan Insight.
Arbana Xharra will publish a story about women from Kosovo who join ISIS, there will be a cross-border investigation by Aleksandar Manasiev and Mirko Rudic about police from Macedonia and Serbia suing their states, and an investigation by Erjona Rusi about children in Albania and Kosovo exposed to porn via social media.
The Alumni Initiative is designed to encourage and support continued cooperation between fellows who have participated in the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence, which was established in 2007.
The Alumni Initiative is supported by Open Society Foundation and ERSTE Foundation in cooperation with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.