BIRN Kosovo Holds Investigative Journalism and Fact-Checking Training

October 17, 2024
BIRN Kosovo held a three-day training course on investigative journalism and fact-checking with regional and international experts in Prishtina, Kosovo from October 11 to 13.

A total of 18 journalists from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, and Bosnia, 14 of whom were women, attended.

Over three days, the participants became familiar with fact-checking and verification tools and studied in-depth investigations from the region.

The first day started with an introduction to the training and project given by Arita Suhodolli, Program Manager at BIRN Kosovo.

The first session was held by Visar Prebreza, managing editor of investigations and fact-checking at KALLXO.com, who spoke about the critical role of investigative journalism in holding powerful individuals and institutions accountable.

Participants learned more how impactful reporting can expose corruption and influence tangible change, with a special focus on case studies of high-profile investigations made by KALLXO.com that led to arrests and legal action.

Photo: BIRN

The second and third sessions were held by Ximena Villagrán, Chief Operating Officer at Maldita.es.

She addressed the global challenges posed by disinformation, where sensationalism and clickbait often dominate the media landscape, undermining the credibility of fact-based journalism. This session explored the crucial role that fact-checking and investigative journalism play in countering false narratives and fostering resilience against malign influences.

Ximena Villagrán spoke also about the innovative tools for engaging younger audiences together with her colleague, Alba Moreno, who spoke about the Factous page launched by Maldita.es itself, a social media page mainly on Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube Shorts.

This initiative aims to guarantee access to information for all people, and awaken the interest of young people in issues that affect them most: politics, economy, culture.

Photo: BIRN

According to them, the page was launched to provide citizens with reliable content based on evidence, facts and data that refutes misinformation and addresses citizens’ information queries with varied and accessible formats, creating a more resilient, accessible and reliable information and media ecosystem.

Moreno explained that the objective is to bring current events closer to younger people using friendly and informal language but without neglecting rigour.

The second day continued with Ylli Buleshkaj, Director of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, who spoke about the role of whistleblowers and how to protect them.

Buleshkaj gave best practices of protecting whistleblowers based on legal principles and models from regulatory bodies.

The second session was held by Faik Ispahiu, Executive Director of Internews Kosova and TV Producer, who spoke about the art of visual storytelling in TV investigations, showing how to combine compelling narratives with engaging visuals.

Photo: BIRN

Ispahiu spoke also about the creation of a media platform using information technology where citizens can report on corruption and organised crime and the protection of whistleblowers within organised crime groups and cross-border crime.

The fourth session was held by Xhorxhina Bami, editor and journalist at BIRN, who spoke about her investigations on cyberbullying networks within the Balkans including the protection and security of journalists while reporting on the topic and the case of weapons confiscated during the Banjska attack in Kosovo in 2023.

The third day started with a session on tackling inter-ethnic disinformation  from Russia and China within the region, held by Dren Gerguri, lecturer at the University of Prishtina’s Department of Journalism.

Photo: BIRN

He also spoke about the online tools that are being used by AI to identify manipulated materials and news spread online.

Fatjona Mejdini, Director of the South Eastern Europe Observatory, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, spoke about her in-depth investigation of drug networks from Ecuador in Europe and Western Balkans.

The training closed with a presentation by Arita Suhodolli, Program Manager at BIRN on the Fellowship program.

The training course was held as part of the EU-funded project Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey II.