Preface by Programme Partners
Independent journalism plays a key role in establishing, consolidating and sustaining democratic societies. In Southeast Europe balanced coverage of socio-political and economic topics is not only crucial to promoting reforms and enhancing further democratisation, it also prepares the countries of the region for a future in the European Union. The media, however, are still developing their capacity to provide the public with quality analysis of regional and international issues.
The legacy of the media’s role as a communication tool used by different political groups and, in some cases, warring parties in the past heavily weighs on the development of independent analysis and reporting. Moreover, the lack of appropriate training and foreign travel means that young talented journalists are often unable to tap their full professional potential, and this affects their ability to contribute to making the public better informed.
The Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence has been initiated by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and ERSTE Foundation in cooperation with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network to support a new generation of motivated and gifted journalists from the region dedicated to quality investigation, analysis and reporting. The Fellowship aims to strengthen the region itself and combines local experience with a European perspective - core ideas that are central to many other Robert Bosch Stiftung and ERSTE Foundation programmes. The professional training sessions within the fellowship, meetings with decisionmakers in Austria and Germany, research trips to countries in the European Union and the region, and individual mentorships all foster professional excellence that can help set new standards of excellence in Southeast European journalism.
The ten fellows of this year’s programme investigated the issue of mobility. Their personal research trips took them to a total of 21 countries, where they gathered stories, sources and statistics. The fellows produced articles that show how borders and barriers still restrain development, as well as the movement of people, goods, and ideas. These articles also reveal modest signs of positive change, where frustration has been overcome and reconciliation processes have been accelerated.
This publication assembles the ten works that have been produced in the course of the fellowship year. It aims to raise awareness of the topic “mobility” in the region as well as in the countries of the European Union. We are proud to present this book with the findings of these fresh, new journalistic voices from the Balkans.
Ingrid Hamm, Robert Bosch Stiftung
November 2007 Boris Marte, ERSTE Foundation
Gordana Igrić, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
