The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is pleased to announce the winner of the Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO 2007 Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe.
After careful deliberation, the jury has chosen Milena Dimitrova, commentator for the Bulgarian daily newspaper Trud from Sofia, as this year’s winner. Dimitrova, who holds a PhD in Journalism, is also the author of several books, such as: Pictures from Japan (1992), Parliament and Journalism (2000), and Frandzhipani i Farangi: Two Bulgarians with the “Giraffe” Women of Burma (2005), written together with Magdalena Gigova. Dimitriva also teaches “Press Journalism and Investigative Reporting” at Sofia University “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”. She is the president of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists’ Investigative Journalism Section.
Dimitrova, who has worked as a journalist since 1983, was chosen for the 2007 Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe from among 39 final nominations from all countries in the region. She receives this award for her journalistic work, through which Dimitrova promoted a climate of better understanding among people from different countries and cultures. Dimitrova, who has been active in fighting corruption in Bulgaria, was an investigative reporter and presenter of the TV programme “Na Chisto” (On Square), dedicated to exposing corruption. Furthermore, she wrote for the Bulgarian weekly, 168 Hours and the daily Debati. Dimitrova is a winner of the 2005 USAID/Coalition 2000 Award for Investigative Journalism, the 2004 and 2005 Annual Award of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists, the 2004 Annual Prize for Investigation of Pari Daily’s Publisher, and the 2000 Award for Objective Journalism on Domestic Issues.
Sponsored by Dr. Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), President of the European Forum Alpbach, Chairman of the “Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe” and former Vice-Chancellor of Austria, the € 2,000 prize is awarded every year to a journalist, editor, media executive or a journalist trainer in South East Europe, who, through the media, has promoted better understanding among peoples in the region and worked towards solving minority-related problems, and fighting against ethnic discrimination, racism, and xenophobia, among others.
In 2002, the Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO jury chose to honor the Croatian journalist Denis Latin with the award. In 2003, it was presented to Kemal Kurspahic, former editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje. Brankica Petkovic, Head of the Center for Media Policy at the Peace Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia, was the recipient of the 2005 award. Danko Plevnik, international relations columnist for the Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija from Split was the winner of last year’s award.
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The award was presented at a ceremony on Friday, 19 October 2007, in Vienna, Austria, by Dr. Erhard Busek and Radomir Licina, SEEMO Board member.
Announciation
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is pleased to announce the Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO 2008 Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe.Sponsored by Dr. Erhard Busek, special coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, the 2,000 Euro award will be given to a journalist, editor, media executive or person educating journalists in South Eastern Europe, who promotes a climate of better understanding among people in the region and who works towards ending minority problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia, etc.
In 2002, the international jury chose Croatian journalist, Denis Latin, as its recipient of the Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO 2002 Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in journalism, which contributed toward better understanding in South Eastern Europe. In 2003, the award was presented to Kemal Kurspahic, former editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje.
The 2005 Award was given to Brankica Petkovic, Head of the Center for Media Policy at the Peace Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and editor-in-chief of the book versions of Media Watch and Media Watch Journal. She is also the author of a number of articles on media representations of minorities, with a special focus on the Roma minority in Slovenia. In 2006 the Croatian journalist, Danko Plevnik, international relations columnist for the Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija from Split, was the recipient of the Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO 2006 Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe. In 2007 the Bulgarian investigative journalist Milena Dimitrova received it for her outstanding efforts in journalism which contributed toward better understanding in South Eastern Europe.
If you know of anyone who would be a worthy recipient of the Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe, please send a letter to SEEMO with basic details about the person (along with a professional CV, describing why she / he should receive the award), as well as the contact information of the person (media organisation, address, phone, fax, email). In case you would like to nominate a media outlet or an organisation / institution, please always provide details of its representative, because this award can be presented only to individuals.
If your nomination is supported by an organisation / media outlet, please send us the name of the contact person supporting your nomination, as well as basic information about the organisation / media outlet. If your nomination is supported by another individual or individuals, please send us their details and contact information. We would also need your own details and contact information (address, phone, fax, email, mobile phone). Please note that members of the jury cannot be nominated for the award. Any additional material about the nominated person (such as TV reports on video or DVD, audio reports on cassette or CD, or articles in newspapers),if possible with a short English translation, are welcomed. Unfortunately, supporting material cannot be returned, so please always send copies of the original material. Please send your nomination and supporting documents to:
SEEMO/IPI , “Busek Award” Spiegelgasse 2/29, 1010 Vienna, Austria Tel: +43 1 513 39 40 Fax: +43 1 512 90 15 E-mail: info@seemo.org
The deadline for applications for the 2008 Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe is: 1 June 2008. The Award will be presented on 16 November 2008 in Vienna/Austria.