Balkan Investigative Reporting Network 2016 2017 Balkan Investigative

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network 2016 -2017

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Activities and achievements 2016 -2017

Journalism Prizes 13 in 2016 7 so far in 2017

EU investigative journalism awards In three years of the award scheme, BIRN journalists won 13 out of 64 prizes awarded. A

Words from friends and partners

BIRN Activities Covered • Publishing and broadcasting • Training • Monitoring and debating • Databases • Advocacy • Strengthening the Network • BIRN Ltd.

Publishing, republishing and broadcasting In 2016 - 16 BIRN’s websites directly reached more than 5. 6 million people (an increase of around 600, 000 on 2015) Data for radio and TV audiences, readers of the press, and republished texts are difficult to obtain.

Important revelations as a result of BIRN investigations • Hidden ownerships, donations and subventions revealed • Corruption and bribery scandals revealed

Impact of BIRN investigations • Tender documentations modified • Concessionary agreements scrapped • Criminal complaints filed • Public officials dismissed or resigned • Contracts made public or changed

Impact of BIRN investigations As a result of BIRN Kosovo investigations: 12 judiciary investigations 6 suspensions 1 indictment 8 disciplinary measures 20 other direct actions taken after BIRN reports

Political impact of the weapons export investigation Reactions from heads of states, foreign ministers and arms companies. The European Union’s foreign policy unit said it was monitoring the flow of weapons.

Local, regional, international republications BIRN texts are widely republished in their own countries, within the region, and internationally. In 2016, over 32, 000 republications/ citations in the Balkans and globally (25, 000 in 2015)

Some texts gained exceptional media attention

BIRN’s story about the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia was republished across the world (in around 50 countries and 500 media outlets)

TV and video production • Around 100 video and TV programmes. Partnerships with 70 TV stations across the region • Twelve episodes of TV Justice (BIRN Bi. H) in 2016 screened by 21 TV stations in the country and over satellite • Jeta ne Kosove is the most watched current affairs program in Kosovo

TV production 55 video-features by BIRN Albania (November 2016 June 2017). Including 14 video-investigations on corruption in the judiciary system Partners: Voice of America and 40 national and local TV stations Estimated viewership: hundreds of thousands for each story

TV production Four TV investigations by BIRN Macedonia with local TV partners Close to 300, 000 viewers

TV production Two films, four documentary pieces and two TV debates produced by BIRN Serbia in 2016 Two awards for the movie “Flatland without Birds”

Movie production BIRN Hub’s documentary film ‘Your House Was My Home’ will air in September The story of how war (1992) forced villagers in Serbia and Croatia to exchange homes with each other in an attempt to save their own lives

Two BIRN programmes marked 10 year anniversaries • Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence (BIRN Hub) • Court Monitoring – Transparency and accountability in Kosovo’s justice system (BIRN Kosovo)

Court Monitoring in Kosovo In 10 years: 10, 481 court hearings monitored 26 municipalities 100 monitors involved

BIRN Hub’s Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence In 10 years 1308 applicants 10 countries 98 fellows

Trainings Topics • 50 training courses and workshops organised • 800 attendees across the region Media: investigative journalism, multimedia techniques, video editing, court monitoring, freedom of information laws, challenging online extremist narratives, crime and court reporting Other social issues: transparency and accountability, public procurement, participative budgeting, judiciary, healthcare and public administration, open-data, security

Trainings BIRN Hub’s Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2016 brought together renowned investigative journalists and experts, with participants from 16 countries Enrolment for the 8 th annual Summer School is open now

Trainings • Reporting Security in the Black Sea Area – organized by BIRN Romania • Topics: energy, military, migration, reconciliation in that region • Following the training, the participants produced in-depth news analysis pieces related to regional security issues

Monitoring and debating 32 reports published in 2016 BIRN Serbia Topics Media, elections, Serbia-Kosovo relations, corruption, local administration and public budgeting, public procurement BIRN Albania

Databases 21 databases were created or maintained in 2016 Over 350, 000 new documents in 2016 In total, over 850, 000 documents in the databases

BIRN Macedonia’s new databases Foreign investments Agricultural subsidies

Interactive War Crimes Verdict Map of war crimes cases by courts in the former Yugoslavia and by the UN tribunal in The Hague (BIRN Hub’s BTJ programme)

Advocacy Topics: Transitional justice policies, accountable and transparent governance, freedom of media BIRN Serbia’s Participative Budgeting programme was implemented in seven municipalities, with the results of these activities incorporated into budget laws for 2017

Strengthening the Network Internal and external procedures: • Anti-corruption policy adopted • Editorial policy and guidelines finalised • Work on social media guidelines initiated Documents drafted: • HR Rules • Disciplinary Procedures • Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct

Strengthening the Network • Annual audit of BIRN Hub and one country office (this year, BIRN Macedonia) • Intranet: Equipment purchased and set-up. Folder structure in testing phase

Staff trainings • 117 BIRN members trained in 2016 within the Network • Topics: social media, inhouse journalism training, reporting on impact, project cycle management, factchecking • International seminars and training courses

BIRN Ltd. • In the first six months of 2017, 15 % increase in the sales of premium content • BIRN Consultancy created a network of researchers in the Western Balkans • Two-year contract: bimonthly political analysis for Friedrich Ebert Stiftung South East Europe • Company now covering the costs of its staff

Welcome to Kopaonik and to our second Network Meeting