After receiving more than 100 applications, the BIRN team has now launched preparations for the selection process and eligibility checks, after which members of the selection committee will begin the process of choosing the journalists to participate in this year’s programme. The criteria for selection are based on the quality of applications and the journalistic merits of the candidates.
The results of the committee’s deliberations will be announced on March 29 on our website, fellowship.birn.eu.com, while all candidates will be individually informed about the results of the annual competition.
Each year, ten Balkan journalists are selected to take part in the programme. Successful applicants receive a bursary, an additional travel and research allowance of up to €2,000 and the chance to participate in a seven-month programme of professional development and excellence in reporting. Experienced regional and international editors provide hands-on support throughout.
Fellows must be available to attend seminars and editorial sessions during the course of the programme. Participants are expected to complete 2,000-word stories, which will be subject to international-style editing processes and will showcase top-quality journalism with a cross-border reporting angle. The final articles are disseminated in local languages, English and German and are republished in the Balkans and beyond.
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, alongside its partners, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and ERSTE Foundation, would like to thank all the applicants for their interest in the programme and wish them the very best of luck.