Author: Aleksandra Vrbica

by Vuk Tesija

Morrison was joined by Gordana Andric, Executive Editor, BIRN Serbia, and Sasa Dragojlo, BIRN Serbia Correspondent, to help 30 participants turn their story ideas into solid pitches.

In the next session, Ana Petruseva, Director, BIRN Macedonia, held a workshop on ‘Developing Complex Databases with Thousands of Documents’, which gave participants new insights into handling large amounts of data.

“When we encounter a huge amount of data, we always find ourselves in a phase where we say ‘this can’t be done!’, but that usually means we have a new challenge that we want to overcome,” Petruseva told participants. “Methodology is key. If you have any inconsistencies, then you are in trouble.”

She explained this using real world examples of data such as foreign investment, state subsidies and media ownership. She presented data on BIRN’s research into the land owned by religious communities – the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Islamic Community – in North Macedonia.

Kreshnik Gashi, Managing Editor at Kallxo.com at BIRN Kosovo explained to participants in the next session how to and reduce legal risks in reporting. During his presentation,  ‘Reporting Safely: Legal Considerations, Case Illustrations, and SLAPP Insights’,  Gashi shared his experiences of protecting himself from SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) lawsuits, state pressure, corporate influence, and other challenges that can put journalists in legal jeopardy.

“Journalists are being arrested, sued, and threatened with lawsuits. Although we live in democratic societies, officials and people of influence and power can still pose a threat and attempt to intimidate us,” explained Gashi.

He added that the goal of a SLAPP is not to win in court, but to drain the resources, time, and money of journalists and newsrooms.

Gashi also reminded colleagues that they must respect the ethical principles of journalism and comply with privacy rules. “Use your knowledge of the law to protect yourself,” he advised.

Next up, Denis Dzidic, BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina Director, shared his experiences during a session called ‘Reporting in Times of Crisis – War Crimes Reporting’.

Participants ended the day with a visit to the BIRN Museum Reporting House and participated in a panel discussion, ‘Investigative Journalism: Two Decades of Change, moderated by Denis Dzidic and attended by BIRN founders Petruseva, Jeta Xharra, BIRN Kosovo Director, and Dragana Solomon.

This was followed by the Certificate Awarding Ceremony in the Reporting House yard, during which journalists socialised and exchanged experiences in an informal setting.

by Vuk Tesija

She revealed the secrets of fact-checking to 30 participants at the school, held in Pristina, Kosovo.

“The fact-checker is not your enemy, but your friend,” said Milica. It is a process, she said, that is crucial for credibility. Mistakes can lead to journalists being liable to legal action, as well as embarrassment.

“In the process, there will be issues and debate. Sometimes you will spend three hours choosing the right word,” Milica explained. She provided several examples so participants could try their hand at fact-checking other people’s texts. This gave them an insight into how responsible and complex the job of a fact-checker is.

The session continued with Alexenia Dimitrova, journalist, OSINT expert, and lecturer in journalism. She delivered a lecture entitled ‘Hidden Places to Investigate Your Country’, demonstrating how open sources of information can provide access to valuable data.

Alexenia shared dozens of useful sources that journalists can rely on when governments in certain countries deny them the information to which they are entitled. “A lot of data is available if you know where to look,” Alexenia emphasised.

Azem Kurtic, a Balkan Insight journalist from the BIRN Hub, discussed a recent investigation which involved him hunting down a location. “By analysing photographs, geolocations, and visual clues, a great deal can be uncovered,” said Kurtic, who shared his combination of computer skills, creativity, and expertise. Through his eyes, participants were able to see the entire process he went through in search of evidence.

Blake Morrison, Lead Trainer and Investigative Projects Editor at Reuters News, continued the session with a gripping story from his career, illustrating how crucial timing is in telling a story.

He emphasised, from his own experience, that there is no such thing as unimportant information or failed stories, since everything a journalist does may one day prove to be of vital importance. The participants, clearly impressed, had the opportunity to hear first-hand insights on how to become better journalists. 

by Vuk Tesija

Summing up the previous day, lead trainer Blake Morrison told everyone: “We are the family of journalists. If you do something good, it makes us all look good.”

Soma showed participants how to transcribe their interviews quickly and efficiently with the help of AI, saving significant time. The participants were impressed by the speed and accuracy with which voice was converted into text, without the need for additional effort.

He also revealed numerous other techniques that will make their work easier in the future, demonstrating practical solutions to overcome technical difficulties.

The participants adopted new skills such as searching huge databases and finding answers that previously required days of preparation and reading, now achievable in just a few seconds.

The session continued with Sharbil Nammour, Media Safety Advisor and Founder of Vallaris Solutions.

“I’m interested in your safety. Of course, you have to do the job, but you must also take care of yourself,” Nammour warned the journalists, stressing that in risky situations they need to pay close attention to time and distance – two factors they must proactively control.

Using examples such as protest footage and reports from high-risk areas, Nammour vividly illustrated poor practices in reporting. “Be careful that the journalist does not become the story,” he cautioned, while outlining the best ways to prevent such situations.

The packed lecture schedule continued with Kreshnik Gashi, Managing Editor of Kallxo.com, based in BIRN Kosovo, and Sasa Dragojlo, an investigative journalist at Balkan Insight at BIRN’s hub, who presented their award-winning investigative stories on organised crime groups.

Gashi and Dragojlo discussed the links between crime and politics, as well as the importance of cultivating reliable sources of information.

“Thanks to our story, around 30 corrupt police officers were arrested,” said Gashi, who investigated money laundering schemes originating in Kosovo and ending up as investments in Montenegro. “You have to have your informants, but you have to constantly think about their well-being because they can pay a terrible price,” said Gashi.

Dragojlo presented a series of stories he has been writing for the past four years about migrant smuggling and the Balkan migrant route. “You can’t have armed foreign nationals in border areas without the police knowing, that’s what caught my attention,” Dragojlo said. Advising the participants, he told them: “Be patient, working slowly, and horizontally, will get you vertically.”

In the afternoon, participants visited the Kallxo Studio in Pristina, where they attended a lecture by Jeta Xharra, Director of BIRN Kosovo, entitled ‘From Exposure to Impact: Why Some Investigations Spark Change and Others Don’t’.

The long third day concluded with Emma Thomasson, journalist and media consultant, who highlighted the importance of mental health for journalists.

She spoke about stress, burnout, and other mental health risks, as well as strategies for improving team communication and managing conflict.

by BIRN

The second day of BIRN’s Summer School of Investigative Reporting in Pristina, Kosovo, continued with a masterclass in open-source intelligence (OSINT) with Reuter’s visual investigations reporter, Reade Levinson.

Levinson shared tips and tricks on how to use free satellite imagery providers and their different tools in order to find and verify publicly available information online, and how to track ships and planes.

Using examples from the stories produced by Levinson and Reuters, participants immediately put their newly harvested skills to the test. “My steps may not be the same as yours, so please share it with us, as this is the space to also learn from each other,” Levinson told participants.

The day continued with Jonathan Soma, professor in data journalism at Columbia University Journalism School. With Soma, journalists gained elements of analysis using data tool Pandas and coding with the help of AI.

“One of the things that people joke about data journalists is that you spend six months finding data, then a month or two analysing it, which ends up as one paragraph in the article,” Soma said.

“But this does not mean that data journalism is not important or fun to do,” he added.

Sharbil Nammour, media safety adviser and founder of Vallaris Solutions, a consultancy company specialised in working with media in risk assessment and safety planning, shared tips on how to stay safe online and protect your privacy.

“On a societal scale, digital security is press freedom in practice. On a personal scale, digital security isn’t about paranoia, it’s about habits. Own your safety,” Nammour said.

By Vuk Tesija

The week-long summer school brings together around 30 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. Over the course of the programme, they will learn how to distinguish suspicions from facts and set high standards for investigative reporting.

Jeta Xharra, Director of BIRN Kosovo, welcomed the participants and stressed that BIRN has for the past 15 years been inviting world class lecturers and journalists to share their expertise with participants.

Gentiana Murati, Deputy Director of BIRN HUB, shared her experiences about last year’s summer school and said the programme is one of the best ways available to learn the trade of journalism.

Lead trainer Blake Morrison, investigative projects editor with Reuters in New York, reminded the participants of their shared professional duty. “You represent me, but I also represent all of you. Journalists have a responsibility to each other,” Morrison said, emphasising the importance of ethics in the profession.

During the introductory presentation, Morrison presented a case study of a journalist who reported untruthfully, explaining the consequences for the profession as a whole and those who become the victims of fabricated stories.

Reade Levinson from the Reuters in London continued his masterclass in open-source intelligence (OSINT), teaching participants how to use free sources, from tracking ships and planes to geolocation. She instructed the participants in the secrets of reverse image searches and searches of business databases.

Alexenia Dimitrova, a journalist and OSINT expert, delivered a lecture titled ‘Cross-Border Sources for Your Climate Investigation’, in which she revealed the secrets of investigating climate change in the digital age.

The first day ended with a lecture by Morrison, titled ‘Formulating Story Ideas: How to Structure Your Pitch’, showing participants how to develop a story pitch from a good idea.

The participants, made up of everyone from experienced journalists to beginners, expressed their satisfaction with the first day. Some said they would save a lot of time in future research because they had learned many new tricks.