Category: News and Events

The deadline to apply for a full scholarship is July 25, while those paying the full course fee have until August 9 to sign up. The course fee of €549 and is all-inclusive, covering tuition, accommodation, meals and extra-curricular tours.

BIRN is looking for mid-career journalists from the Balkans to apply for the scholarship..

BIRN is gathering leading journalists and trainers, both from the Balkans and internationally to provide informative, insightful and entertaining training focused on investigative, computer-assisted and organised crime and corruption journalism, in print and broadcast media.

Confirmed speakers include renowned trainers and presenters Don Ray, Mark Hunter, Luuk Sengers, Gavin Rees, Milorad Ivanovic, Maunela Mareso and the OCCRP training team with Drew Sullivan, Rosemary Armao and Paul Radu.

The summer school will offer a full programme including exercises and round-tables on the changing face of Balkan media ownership, violence against media professionals, and more.
All applicants selected to attend the Summer School will get BIRN’s newly published textbook “Digging Deeper: A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans” free of charge.

There will also be time to tour the beautiful orchards, vineyards, monasteries and forests in the Fruska Gora National Park.

Finally, all participants will receive a BIRN Summer School certificate.

BIRN will provide all necessary documentation and assistance for applicants that required visas or travel documents.

Journalists from South East Europe, who have at least three years experience, can apply for a full scholarship.

The summer school will follow the curriculum outlined in BIRN’s recently published   “Digging Deeper – A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans”, written by Sheila S. Coronel, a professor at Columbia University in the United States.

In the morning programme of the summer school, the training will take journalists through this demanding discipline in a methodical manner, from a definition of what investigative journalism is, through the investigative process itself and the set of techniques for following people and paper trails, interviewing and checking the legal implications of journalistic work, and putting an article together.

In the afternoon hours, journalists will be able to choose one of two topics to examine in greater detail: either computer assisted reporting (CAR)  or organised crime and corruption.

Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in discussions with lecturers and guests, and attend case study presentations. They will receive a range of course materials including relevant books, handouts, readers and documentary movies which focus on organised crime, corruption and other topics.  Evening debates will tackle major Balkan media issues, from media ownership to violence against journalists.

BIRN’s Investigative Initiatives programme will also include a set of commercial activities in upcoming years that will target local universities in the Balkans, as well as media owners and publishing houses.