This
theoretical phase of the course will be followed by two to three weeks of
research under the guidance of Aleksandar Ciric, one of the Vreme editors. All the trainees will meet again in Belgrade in December to
work on final versions of their articles with senior Vreme journalists.
The
November phase of the programme dealt with the key elements of investigative
journalism: paper trails, internet research, investigative techniques,
interviewing and sourcing and ethical issues. At the same time, Vreme
journalists spoke about assignments they’d undertaken.
Journalists
attended presentations by Aleksandar Ciric, Jovan Dulovic, Tamara Skroza, Filip
Svarm and others.
"It
was very useful to hear from our older colleagues and also establish contact
with them, which will be useful in the future," said Bijana Stanisic, a
freelance journalist from Podgorica.
The
BIRN correspondents also had an opportunity to spend time with the BIRN Serbia
team, with whom they discussed the current situation in Montenegro and Serbia, article
ideas and training needs.
It’s
the first time that BIRN journalists have attended the Vreme investigative
journalism programme, and articles they produce will be published in Vreme and
on the BIRN site.
This
visit was organised as a part of the Minority Media Training and Reporting
Project supported by the British Embassy in Belgrade.