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DW Global Media Forum: Eastern identities and Russia’s expanding influence on its neighbors hosted by Deutsche Welle, Panel with SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic, 20 June 2017, Bonn, Germany

June 20, 2017 • Others 2017 • disabled comments
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Thursday, June 20

Eastern identities and Russia’s expanding influence on its neighbors hosted by Deutsche Welle

Moscow is trying to expand its influence on Eastern Europe by influencing the media, the policy and the civil society of several nations around Russia. While the right wing movement in European countries like Slovakia, Bulgaria and Czech Republic reaches out to the Kremlin and claims a turning away from the West, there are also countries like Ukraine that are unwantedly affected by the hard lines of Russian policy. The Polish President Andrzej Duda criticized NATO for treating Poland like a buffer zone between Russia and Germany. The panel discusses the identity formation of Eastern European countries and Slavic Nations. Is there a heritage of the “Eastern Identity”, that all countries of Eastern Europe have in common and what was apart from its geographical point of reference the generalized social marker in European identity formation process? How does the Kremlin influence national policies and cultures of Eastern European countries?

Speakers:
Oliver Vujovic
Zhanna Nemtsova – Journalist, Deutsche Welle, Germany

More on: http://www.dw.com/en/eastern-identities-and-russias-expanding-influence-on-its-neighbors/a-38278263

Conference Public Broadcasting in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with SEEMO, Sarajevo, 13-14 June, 2017, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

June 13, 2017 • Others 2017 • disabled comments
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Tuesday 13 June 2017

The Bosnia and Herzegovina public service broadcaster (BHRT), the Bosnia and Herzegovina Journalist association, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)call on Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities to undertake urgent measures to save national public service media (PSM) in BiH.

The above mentioned organisations urge BiH authorities to ensure political consensus about the importance of existing independent and professional national PSM in BiH, to find sustainable solutions for the funding of PSM, to undertake immediate amendments of the existing legislation and support the national public broadcaster as a factor for promoting and reinforcing democracy, European standards, ethnic tolerance and social cohesion.

The signatories of this statement in cooperation with the Council of Europe and the OSCE Representative of Freedom of the Media, are organizing a conference on “National Public Service Broadcasting in Bosnia and Herzegovina” on 13 June in Sarajevo. The event will summon representatives of media, parliament, government, BiH authorities, representatives of international organizations, institutions and embassies, and experts to discuss possible solutions for the crisis and ensure proper implementation of Council of Europe and European Union’s standards. The participants will discuss the existing challenges and limits, share experiences and best practices of national and ethnic PSM in Europe and assess the need for legal changes, systemic changes and the request for the Croatian channel.

Key speakers will be Nils Muižnieks, CoE Commissioner for Human Rights and Ingrid Deltenre, EBU Director General.

BHRT will host the conference in one of its studios.

Award to Slovenian editor with the one of the longest editorial career in the world

May 25, 2017 • Award for lifetime achievement • disabled comments

Vienna, 15 December 2017 – The Vienna based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) decided to present the SEEMO Award for Lifetime Achievement to Slovenian journalist Tone Fornezzi Tof.

Born on 12 April 1934 in Ljubljana, Tone Fornezzi (known as Tof) has been active in Slovenian journalism for six decades. His first full-time job as a reporter was in 1960 at TT-Tedenska tribuna, a weekly tribune published by the Slovenian largest national daily Delo.

From 1965 until 1973, he was editor in chief of the youth weekly Antena. He became very popular by founding and editing his satirical weekly page Tofov butik (Tof”s Boutique) which he started in May 1970 at the Sunday edition of Delo and, one year later – in 1971 – moved it to Nedeljski dnevnik, the Sunday edition of Slovenian daily Dnevnik. He is still editor of this very popular Tof’s Boutique page and is – at 47 years actively in this position – an active editor with one of the longest editorial career in the world and in the SEEMO region.

In Slovenia, Tof is also widely known for his satirical radio and TV transmissions. He is also known for organizing many humanitarian events and is currently working on an auction to help children with cancer.

As an active sportsman in biking and skiing (he won 22 medals on international media Olympic competitions), he is still organizing various sport events. He is also an author of several books. Tof is certainly one of the highest ranking journalistic legends in Slovenia.

The award will be presented on Monday 18 December 2017 in Ljubljana by Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General

DR. ERHARD BUSEK – SEEMO 2017 AWARD

May 25, 2017 • Busek Award 2017 • disabled comments

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) has announced that Romanian journalist Marina Constantinoiu is the winner of the 2017 Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe.

An international SEEMO jury chose Constantinoiu, editor-in-chief of miscareaderezistenta.ro and and former editor-in-chief at Jurnalul National daily in Bucharest, Romania as the winner of the award. Over the last two years, she has published more than 50 articles based on archives of Romanian security services. Constantinoiu and her team have gotten access to the archives of the ex-communist Secret Services of Romania Securitate and East Germany Stasi and have discovered exclusive documents proving killings at the Romanian borders before 1989, where the victims were not just Romanians, but also foreign citizens, especially Germans from the former German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik). This research helps that many families understand what happened to family members 28 or more years ago.

For Marina Constantinoiu, the idea was not only to present documented cases to the public, but also to underline that freedom today, and especially the freedom of movement for all those living in the East of Europe, results from many tragic stories. By knowing the truth about the recent past, we will be able to understand our present. A shared past and common memories are connecting people in East Europe.

Only 28 years ago things were totally different and there was no freedom of movement for people in East Europe. Europe faced a silent migration until 1989, which involved millions of people moving, primarily, illegally from East to West Europe in order to find the freedom and a better life. West Europe, but also former Yugoslavia as a socialist country, became a dream for many in Romania, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and ex-USSR.

For the younger generation, it is important to understand what a dictatorship means and how difficult it was to obtain the freedom of movement we enjoy all today to travel without borders, but also everyone must understand that building new borders inside Europe in the past two years is a very negative trend.

The award, which carries a cash prize of €3,000, is scheduled to be presented on 29 November 2017 in Sofia 12.30 at the Hotel Hilton during the annual Commission on Media Policy by Dr. Erhard Busek, president of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, and by Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO secretary general.

Previous winners of the Dr. Erhard Busek-SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe are:

Erol Onderoglu (Turkey), journalist and press freedom worker in Istanbul;

Radomir Licina (Serbia) founder and senior editor daily Danas;

Željka Lekić-Subašić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), head of ERNO (Eurovision News Exchange for Southeast Europe) Coordination Office;

Nenad Šebek (Greece/Serbia) executive director of the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe (CDRSEE) in Thessaloniki for 12 years, developing and working on a wide variety of programmes, from the joint history project to the regional television talk show “Vicinities”;

International Academy (Serbia) for the project Media and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities;

Jeta Xharra (Kosovo) director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), as well as a presenter on, and the editor-in-chief of, “Life in Kosovo”;

Drago Hedl, (Croatia) journalist, Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji List;

Omer Karabeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina), journalist, South Slavic and Albanian Language Service program of Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL), founder and editor of the radio program Most (Bridge), Prague, Czech Republic;

Boris Bergant (Slovenia), co-founder of the Alpe Adria broadcasting project, former deputy-president of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and former deputy director of Radio Television Slovenia;

Brankica Stankovic (Serbia), author of the TV program ‘Insajder’, produced by B92 Television, Belgrade, Serbia;

Milena Dimitrova (Bulgaria), columnist, Sofia-based daily Trud, Bulgaria;

Danko Plevnik (Croatia), columnist, Split-based daily Slobodna Dalmacija;

Brankica Petkovic (Slovenia), Head of the Center for Media Policy, Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia;

Kemal Kurspahic (Bosnia and Herzegovina / USA), editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo-based daily Oslobodjenje during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and author of Prime Time Crime;

Denis Latin (Croatia) author of the TV program ‘Latinica’, Croatian Radio Television (HRT).

For questions and more information please contact info@seemo.org

CALL FOR THE 2017 DR. ERHARD BUSEK SEEMO AWARD FOR
BETTER UNDERSTANDING

Vienna, 10 July 2017.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), calls for nominations for the 2017 Dr Erhard Busek-SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South, Eastern and Central Europe. Eligible to be nominated are journalists, editors, media executives, media experts, writers or journalism trainers in South, East and Central Europe, who have contributed to promoting better understanding in the region and have worked towards ending minority-related problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia, gender discrimination, homophobia, etc. The winner will be awarded EUR 3,000.

The award is sponsored by Dr. Erhard Busek, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria, Jean Monnet Professor ad personam, President of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, Coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) and Former Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.

The deadline for applications is 20 September 2017 noon Central European Time. All application materials must be received by the deadline.

Should you wish to nominate a candidate for the 2017 Dr. Erhard BusekSEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South, Eastern and Central Europe,please send the following materials :

1. Letter of nomination with basic details about the candidate and the reasons why you would like to nominate them, in English by email and registered post;

2. Curriculum Vitae of the candidate, in English, by email and registered post;

3. Additional materials: please include a list of the candidate’s merits; information about the media outlet(s) that have published and/or broadcast the candidate’s work; relevant material, including copies of articles, TV, video or radio material on a USB-stick.

Video, audio and print material in local languages should be accompanied by a short synopsis in English. If materials are available online, please send a document that lists the relevant links as supporting material. Additional materials MUST be sent as hard copies by registered post only, not by email.

Unfortunately, additional materials cannot be returned. Please make sure to send copies rather than original material.

4. Your contact information: name; address; cell phone, phone and fax number; email address, by email and registered post;

5. Candidate’s contact information: name, address, phone number and email address,by email and registered post;

6. If you would like to nominate a media outlet, an organisation or an institution, please include details about the person who would accept the award on its behalf, by email and registered post;

7. If your nomination is supported by an organisation or a media outlet, please send us the name, email and phone of a contact person from the institution supporting your nomination and a short supporting letter, by email and registered post;

8. If your nomination is supported by an individual or individuals, please send us their details, contact information (email, phone) and a short supporting letter, by email and registered post.

Materials listed in points 1, 2 and 4-8 should be sent by both email to info@seemo.org, and by registered post to the SEEMO office in Vienna, Austria. Documents and materials under point 3 should be sent ONLY by registered post to the SEEMO office in Vienna, Austria:

For BUSEK AWARD South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) (IPI office) Spiegelgasse 2 / 29 1010 Vienna Austria

The candidates must come from, work in or cover the following geographic area (SEEMO region): Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia (Republic of Macedonia / FYROM), Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

The winner will be chosen by an international jury composed of distinguished journalists and media experts. Members of the jury cannot be nominated for the award.

An official press release in November 2017 will announce the winner.

The award will be presented on 29 November 2017 in Sofia, Bulgaria by Dr. Erhard Busek during the annual meeting of the Commission on Media Policy. The winner will be invited to the presentation. Travel expenses of the winner will be covered by SEEMO.

Previous winners of the Dr. Erhard Busek-SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe are:

Erol Onderoglu, journalist and press freedom worker, Istanbul, Turkey

Radomir Licina (Serbia) founder and senior editor daily Danas;

Željka Lekić-Subašić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), head of ERNO (Eurovision News Exchange for Southeast Europe) Coordination Office;

Nenad Šebek (Greece) executive director of the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe (CDRSEE) in Thessaloniki for 12 years, developing and working on a wide variety of programmes, from the joint history project to the regional television talk show “Vicinities”;

International Academy (Serbia) for the project Media and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities;

Jeta Xharra (Kosovo) director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), as well as a presenter on, and the editor-in-chief of, “Life in Kosovo”;

Drago Hedl, (Croatia) journalist, Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji List;

Omer Karabeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina), journalist, South Slavic and Albanian Language Service program of Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL), founder and editor of the radio program Most (Bridge), Prague, Czech Republic;

Boris Bergant (Slovenia), co-founder of the Alpe Adria broadcasting project, former deputy-president of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and former deputy director of Radio Television Slovenia;

Brankica Stankovic (Serbia), author of the TV program ‘Insajder’, produced by B92 Television, Belgrade, Serbia;

Milena Dimitrova (Bulgaria), columnist, Sofia-based daily Trud, Bulgaria;

Danko Plevnik (Croatia), columnist, Split-based daily Slobodna Dalmacija;

Brankica Petkovic (Slovenia), Head of the Center for Media Policy, Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia;

Kemal Kurspahic (Bosnia and Herzegovina / USA), editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo-based daily Oslobodjenje during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and author of Prime Time Crime;

Denis Latin (Croatia) author of the TV program ‘Latinica’, Croatian Radio Television (HRT).

For questions and more information please write to info@seemo.org

Moldavian and Ukrainian journalists win CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism 2017

May 14, 2017 • CEI Award 2017 • disabled comments

The Central European Initiative (CEI) and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), in special partnership with the Media Program South East Europe of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), have announced the winners of the “CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism 2017”:

Victor Mosneag in the section “Professional Journalists” and Yevheniia Motorevska in the section “Young Professional Journalists”.

Victor Mosneag, an investigative reporter at weekly newspaper Ziarul de Garda in Moldova, has been awarded for his excellent work on reporting corruption, transparency and rule of law issues in Moldova. In his nine years of experience as an investigative reporter, Mosneag has been covering many cases about corrupt highest officials with a big impact on Moldavian society. His series of articles outline corruption in the justice sector showing the incomes and the assets of judges and the huge differences between legal salaries and the de facto properties. After Victor’s publications, the Government has started many investigations against corrupt judges.

Yevheniia Motorevska, a young journalist from the weekly investigative TV programme “Slidstvo.Info” in Ukraine, has been awarded for her successful work in discovering crimes and corruption in the Public Sector and law enforcement system. Ukrainian officials have opened several criminal cases based on information which Yevheniia published in her stories. In one of her investigations, she discovered the process of drugs trafficking in Ukrainian prisons presenting many details and proof about how the system worked and about the officials involved.

Victor Mosneag and Yevheniia Motorevska will officially receive the awards offered by the CEI (4,000 EUR and 1,000 EUR respectively) on the occasion of the South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 27-28 November 2017.

A Special Mention has been assigned to Marina Constantinoiu, editor-in-chief of miscareaderezistenta.ro website in Bucharest, Romania. She is a well-known journalist with an extensive experience in implementing huge investigative and research projects. Over the last two years, she has published more than 50 articles based on archives of security services. Constantinoiu and her team have got access to the archives of the ex-communist Secret Services of Romania and East Germany, Securitate and Stasi, and discovered exclusive documents proving killings at the Romanian borders, with victims not only among Romanians, but also foreign citizens, especially Germans from the former GDR.

22 nominations, covering 10 countries, have been submitted this year, confirming the region-wide impact and relevance of the Award.

The independent international jury, who decides by majority voting, included: Lindita Çela (Albania), journalist at the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN); Alina Radu (Moldova), director at Ziarul de Garda daily; Anna Babinets (Ukraine), editor of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP); Matteo Finco, (Italy), freelance journalist, Ossigeno per l’Informazione; Saša Leković (Croatia), president of Investigative Journalism Center, president of Croatian Journalists’ Association. The overall Award coordination was managed by Barbara Fabro (CEI) and Oliver Vujovic (SEEMO).

CONTACTS
Central European Initiative (CEI): press@cei.int // www.cei.int
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO): basis@seemo.org // www.seemo.org
KAS Media Program South East Europe: media.europe@kas.de // www.kas.de/medien-europa/en
For more information on the South East Europe Media Forum: info@seemf.org
Follow us on Twitter:@seemf; @seemofreemedia; @KASmediaSEE; @CEI_Secretariat

Journalism Festival Perugia, Panel: Press freedom in south-east Europe, in cooperation with SEEMO, 5 April 2017, Perugia, Italy

May 4, 2017 • Others 2017 • disabled comments
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Wednesday, April 05 at 15:45 – 17:15
Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaelo, Perugia

Press freedom in south-east Europe

In the first two months of 2017 the Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) published more than 35 reactions and protest letters connected to press freedom violations in the SEEMO region. Strong censorship by states, self-censorship, pressure by advertisers, intimidation, threats, physical attacks, journalists in jail, police protection for journalists, but also pressure by business people, politicians and religious groups are part of the daily life of a journalist in south-east and central Europe.

The speakers will be Zrinka Vrabec Mojzes, editor of the weekly Nacional which is famous for revealing corruption in Croatia, Besar Likmeta, an Albanian investigative journalist who was brutally attacked by a member of the Albanian Parliament during an interview, and Ukrainian Anna Babinets, who participated as a journalist in an investigation known as YanukovychLeaks, and also in the Panama Papers project. Barbara Fabro from the Central European Initiative (CEI) will focus on supporting investigative journalism in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Moderator: Oliver Vujovic from SEEMO. Organized in association with SEEMO and CEI.

General Information

In the first two months of 2017 the Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) published more than 35 reactions and protest letters connected to press freedom violations in the SEEMO region. Strong censorship by states, self-censorship, pressure by advertisers, intimidation, threats, physical attacks, journalists in jail, police protection for journalists, but also pressure by business people, politicians and religious groups are part of the daily life of a journalist in south-east and central Europe.

The event was on Wednesday 5 April 2017 during the International Journalism Festival in Perugia. Panel speakers were Zrinka Vrabec Mojzes, editor of the weekly Nacional which is famous for revealing corruption in Croatia, Besar Likmeta, an Albanian investigative journalist who was brutally attacked by a member of the Albanian Parliament during an interview, and Ukrainian Anna Babinets, who participated as a journalist in an investigation known as YanukovychLeaks, and also in the Panama Papers project. Barbara Fabro from the Central European Initiative (CEI) focused on supporting investigative journalism in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Moderator: Oliver Vujovic from SEEMO. SEEMO regularly participates in the Perugia Journalism Festival with a panel.

Conference Venue details

SEEMO panel in Perugia – Journalism Festival in Perugia #ijf17 on 5 April 2017:
Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello
15:45 – 17:15 wednesday 5/04/2017

Ukraine: Dialogue instead of Monologue, in cooperation with SEEMO, 29 March 2017, Vienna, Austria

March 29, 2017 • Others 2017 • disabled comments
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Wednesday, March 29 at 7 PM – 8 PM
Republikanischer Club; Rockhgasse 1, 1010 Wien, Österreich

A solution for the conflict in Ukraine is not to be seen anywhere. While the Trilateral Contact Group is painfully struggling for at least some progress in their negotiations, the humanitarian situation of the people is dramatic – particularly in the areas near to the contact line in Eastern Ukraine. Aides and OSCE observers on the ground are under pressure, as are journalists and artists. The rivalling political narratives present a picture of several monologues competing with each other rather than a sorely needed dialogue about the living and working conditions of the groups mentioned, as well as the ideological differences within Ukrainian society.

The Austrian Platform for Dialogue and Conflict Resolution in Ukraine is an alliance committed to a large number of dialogue supporting initiatives in Ukraine. They are to be implemented in 2017 – the year of the Austrian OSCE presidency – with a view to long-term effects. The panel discussion will give information about the projects envisaged and show existing and future possibilities for dialogue and conflict resolution in Ukraine. The discussion will be held in English

Wednesday, 29 March 2017, 7.00 p.m.
Venue Republikanischer Club, Rockhgasse 1, 1010 Vienna

Panel:
Yevgenia Belorusets:
Artist, author and photographer, Kiev/Kyiv (Belorusets Yevgenia)

Gudrun Gusel:
Manager of Foreign Aid Caritas, Vienna (CaritasVienna)

Roman Koval:
Mediator, director of the Institute for Peace and Common Ground, Kiev/Kyiv (Інститут миру і порозуміння)

Oliver Vujović:
Journalist, general secretary of SEEMO (South East Europe Media Organisation), Vienna (Seemo)

Moderation:
Hannes Swoboda:

MEP ret., president of the International Institute for Peace, Vienna
Please register: Claudia Hofer, hofer@aspr.ac.at

In cooperation with
Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (Friedensburg Schlaining)
Die Grüne Bildungswerkstatt (Grüne Bildungswerkstatt)
Herbert C. Kelman Institute (http://kelmaninstitute.org/)
Gesellschaft für Eurasische Studien
Karl Renner Institute (Karl-Renner-Institut)
tranzit.at (tranzit.at)

Erol Onderoglu is the announced winner of the 2016 Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe

May 25, 2016 • Busek Award 2016 • disabled comments

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of journalists, editors-in-chief and media experts from the region, has announced that Turkish journalist Erol Onderoglu is this year’s winner of the 2016 Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in SEE.

An international jury chose Onderoglu as winner based on his exceptional contributions in the sphere of investigative journalism, critical reporting and better understanding in Turkey and throughout the South East Europe region.

For more than 15 years, Erol Onderoglu has written for Bianet news portal and Reporters without Borders (RWB) on topics related to freedom of expression and press freedom. In 2015, he was elected IFEX Council member. On 20 June 2016, he was arrested with Sebnem Korur Fincanci, head of Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, and Ahmet Nesin, journalist and writer. The three were charged with “terrorist propaganda” for taking part in a solidarity campaign in support of the proKurdish Turkish daily, Özgür Gündem (Free Agenda), in which journalists and activists guest-edit the newspaper on a daily basis to protest its persistent harassment by judicial authorities. He was released on 30 June 2016, but that charges against him remain. Currently he is a Rapporteur for IPS Communication Foundation within the Bianet project (bianet.org) where he publishes quarterly Media Monitoring Reports on press freedom breaches in Turkey and as RWB’s Turkey Representative.

The award, which carries a cash prize of €3,000, is scheduled to be presented on 23 November 2016 in Belgrade, Serbia by Dr. Erhard Busek, president of the Institute for the Danube Region and CentralEurope (IDM). Onderoglu will receive the award during the annual Commission on Media policy meeting, consisting of regular members and colleagues that meet each year following the South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF).

The previous winners of the Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award include:

– 2015: the awar was presented to Radomir Licina, co-founder of the Serbian daily Danas, and to the Belgrade NGO International Academy.

– 2014: – Zeljka Lekic-Subasic, head of the Eurovision News Exchange for South East Europe (ERNO). In addition, Nenad Sebek, spokesman for the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) has been honoured with a special Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Diploma for Better Understanding in South East Europe.

– 2012: Jeta Xharra (Kosovo), director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) as well as a presenter and the editor-in-chief of “Life in Kosovo”, Pristina

– 2011: Drago Hedl, (Croatia) journalist, Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji List.

– 2010: Omer Karabeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina), journalist, South Slavic and Albanian Language Service program of Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL), founder and editor of the radio program Most (Bridge), Prague, Czech Republic.

– 2009: Boris Bergant (Slovenia), co-founder of the Alpe Adria broadcasting project, former deputy-president of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and former deputy director of Radio Television Slovenia.

– 2008: Brankica Stankovic (Serbia), author of the TV program Insajder, produced by B92 Television, Belgrade, Serbia.

– 2007: Milena Dimitrova (Bulgaria), columnist, Sofia-based daily Trud, Bulgaria.

– 2006: Danko Plevnik (Croatia), columnist, Split-based daily Slobodna Dalmacija

– 2005: Brankica Petkovic (Slovenia), head of the Center for Media Policy, Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

– 2003: Kemal Kurspahic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), former editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo-based daily Oslobodjenje.

– 2002: Denis Latin (Croatia) author of the TV program Latinica, Croatian Radio Television (HRT)

CALL FOR THE BUSEK SEEMO AWARD 2016
Vienna, 21 April 2016

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), calls for nominations for the 2016 Dr Erhard Busek-SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South, Eastern and Central Europe. Eligible to be nominated are journalists, editors, media executives, media experts, writers or journalism trainers in South, East and Central Europe, who have contributed to promoting better understanding in the region and have worked towards ending minority-related problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia, gender discrimination, homophobia, etc. The winner will be awarded EUR 3,000.

The award is sponsored by Dr. Erhard Busek, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria, Jean Monnet Professor ad personam, President of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, Coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) and Former Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.

The deadline for applications is 31 July 2016 noon Central European Time. All application materials must be received by email and registered post at the SEEMO office by the deadline.

Should you wish to nominate a candidate for the 2016 Dr. Erhard BusekSEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South, Eastern and Central Europe, please send the following materials :

1. Letter of nomination with basic details about the candidate and the reasons why you would like to nominate them, in English by email and registered post; 2. Curriculum Vitae of the candidate, in English, by email and registered post;

3. Additional materials: please include a list of the candidate’s merits; information about the media outlet(s) that have published and/or broadcast the candidate’s work; relevant material, including copies of articles, TV, video or radio material on a USB-stick.

Video, audio and print material in local languages should be accompanied by a short synopsis in English. If materials are available online, please send a document that lists the relevant links as supporting material. Additional materials MUST be sent as hard copies by registered post only, not by email.

Unfortunately, additional materials cannot be returned. Please make sure to send copies rather than original material.

4. Your contact information: name; address; cell phone, phone and fax number; email address, by email and registered post;

5. Candidate’s contact information: name, address, phone number and email address,by email and registered post; 6. If you would like to nominate a media outlet, an organisation or an institution, please include details about the person who would accept the award on its behalf, by email and registered post;

7. If your nomination is supported by an organisation or a media outlet, please send us the name, email and phone of a contact person from the institution supporting your nomination and a short supporting letter, by email and registered post;

8. If your nomination is supported by an individual or individuals, please send us their details, contact information (email, phone) and a short supporting letter, by email and registered post.

Materials listed in points 1, 2 and 4-8 should be sent by both email to award@seemo.org, and by registered post to the SEEMO office in Vienna, Austria. Documents and materials under point 3 should be sent ONLY by registered post to the SEEMO office in Vienna, Austria:

Ms. Anna Schmidt – for BUSEK AWARD South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) (IPI office) Spiegelgasse 2 / 29 1010 Vienna Austria

The candidates must come from, work in or cover the following geographic area (SEEMO region): Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia (Republic of Macedonia / FYROM), Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

The winner will be chosen by an international jury composed of distinguished journalists and media experts. Members of the jury cannot be nominated for the award.

An official press release in November 2016 will announce the winner.

The award will be presented on 23 November 2016 in Belgrade, Serbia, by Dr. Erhard Busek during the annual meeting of the Commission on Media Policy. The winner will be invited to the presentation. Travel expenses of the winner will be covered.

Previous winners of the Dr. Erhard Busek-SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe are:

Radomir Licina (Serbia) founder and senior editor daily Danas;

Željka Lekić-Subašić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), head of ERNO (Eurovision News Exchange for Southeast Europe) Coordination Office;

Nenad Šebek (Greece) executive director of the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe (CDRSEE) in Thessaloniki for 12 years, developing and working on a wide variety of programmes, from the joint history project to the regional television talk show “Vicinities”;

International Academy (Serbia) for the project Media and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities;

Jeta Xharra (Kosovo) director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), as well as a presenter on, and the editor-in-chief of, “Life in Kosovo”;

Drago Hedl, (Croatia) journalist, Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji List;

Omer Karabeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina), journalist, South Slavic and Albanian Language Service program of Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL), founder and editor of the radio program Most (Bridge), Prague, Czech Republic;

Boris Bergant (Slovenia), co-founder of the Alpe Adria broadcasting project, former deputy-president of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and former deputy director of Radio Television Slovenia;

Brankica Stankovic (Serbia), author of the TV program ‘Insajder’, produced by B92 Television, Belgrade, Serbia;

Milena Dimitrova (Bulgaria), columnist, Sofia-based daily Trud, Bulgaria;

Danko Plevnik (Croatia), columnist, Split-based daily Slobodna Dalmacija;

Brankica Petkovic (Slovenia), Head of the Center for Media Policy, Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia;

Kemal Kurspahic (Bosnia and Herzegovina / USA), editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo-based daily Oslobodjenje during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and author of Prime Time Crime;

Denis Latin (Croatia) author of the TV program ‘Latinica’, Croatian Radio Television (HRT).

For questions and more information please write to award@seemo.org

Albanian and Belarusian journalists win CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism 2016

May 21, 2016 • CEI Award 2016 • disabled comments

The Central European Initiative ( CEI) and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), in special partnership with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung ( KAS), have announced the winners of the “CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism 2016”:

Lindita Çela in the section “Professional Journalists” and Artsiom Harbatsevich in the section “Young Professional Journalists”. Lindita Çela, an investigative journalist at the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in Albania, has been awarded for her overall professional achievements and hard-hitting investigations exposing corruption scandals in the highest levels of power as well as revelations on Albania’s organised crime networks, stretching from the Accursed Mountains to the streets of Brussels. For over more than 15 years of experience as a reporter, she has been covering complex stories with a huge impact in Albanian society, showing impressive courage and determination.

Artsiom Harbatsevich, a young journalist from Minsk, Belarus, with working experiences at Intex – press and Nasha Niva, has been awarded for his activity as investigative reporter producing some works having great impact and repercussions in his country. In particular, in one investigation, he examined the pro-Russian paramilitary groups receiving support from Russian funds, while in another work he exposed the channel through which Belarusian teenagers from a border region were taken to military training in Russia.

Çela and Harbatsevich will officially receive the awards offered by the CEI (4,000 EUR and 1,000 EUR respectively) on the occasion of the X South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) in Belgrade, Serbia, on 21-22 November 2016.

A Special Mention has been assigned to Iurie Sănduță, director of RISE Moldova and member of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). As a specialist in cross-border investigations, coordinating the investigation department at Ziarul de Gardă in Chișinău, his work is also well-known in the Romanian media, especially in recent years, when he revealed several high -level corruption schemes, disclosing the criminal organisation and making connections in offshore areas. He is the co-author of the investigative border projects “A Murderer’s Trail” and “The Russian Laundromat”.

35 nominations, covering 12 countries, have been submitted this year, confirming the region-wide impact and relevance of the Award.

The independent international jury, who decides by majority voting, included: Aleksandra Bogdani (Albania), editor for Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN); Saša Leković (Croatia), investigative journalist, trainer and media advisor in SEE countries, president of Investigative Journalism Center, president of Croatian Journalists’ Association; Luka Zanoni (Italy), editor-in-chief, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso; Marina Constantinoiu (Romania), journalist/editor-in-chief, miscareaderezistenta.ro; Anna Babinets (Ukraine), editor of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and co-founder of Slidstvo.info.

The overall Award coordination was managed by Barbara Fabro (CEI) and Oliver Vujovic (SEEMO).

CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2016

The Central European Initiative (CEI) and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), in special partnership with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), have opened the Call for Applications 2016 of the CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism. The Call is divided into two categories:

PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS – 4.000 EUR
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL YOURNALISTS (born on or after 1/1/1986) – 1.000 EUR

The Award, launched in 2008, aims to honour the work carried out by investigative journalists and their contribution to investigative reporting despite the difficult conditions under which they often have to operate.
Applications will be examined by an international jury made up of distinguished journalists and media experts from the region, which may also include winners of previous editions of the Award.
The awarding ceremony will take place during the South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) in Belgrade, Serbia, on 21-22 November 2016

ADMISSION CRITERIA

Eligibility
The Call is open to nationals of the 18 CEI Member States: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Print, Radio, TV, news agencies and Internet media are admitted.

For Category 1, candidates should have been actively engaged in investigative reporting over the last two years and should still be active in journalism. Two samples of journalistic work will be relevant for the evaluation by the jury.
For Category 2, candidates should have been actively involved in investigative reporting, even in the context of training activities organised by schools/universities/NGOs and, as a result, should have published at least one investigative story meeting all professional standards. One sample of journalistic work will be relevant for the evaluation by the jury.

Submission modalities
Candidates have to be recommended by trustworthy individuals, journalism and media organisations, media companies, civil society organisations, journalism schools or universities, trade unions or other social organisations from the target countries. The nominator should write a recommendation letter and make it available to the nominee/candidate.
The nominees/candidates have to go through an online application procedure and provide all necessary documents for the application in digital form (see details below).

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates shall fill in an Online Application Form available here: www.cei.int/CEI-SEEMO-award-2016.

The following documents in PDF format shall be uploaded:
1. Curriculum Vitae (personal and professional data sheet according to Europass format or similar);
2. A recommendation letter;
3. Up to three samples of journalistic work in a single PDF document (minimum two samples in Category 1, one sample in Category 2). For online work samples, insert hyperlinks in a PDF document, or print out online articles in a PDF file. Hyperlinks need to be accessible at least until 30 June 2016. In case of audio/video material, please upload the files making use of file-sharing services (e.g. WeTransfer or Dropbox) including a script or scenario.
Material prepared in local languages should be accompanied by a short summary in English.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The jury will take into account the relevance of the matters covered by the reports, which should have a focus on the target countries, as well as the quality of reporting in terms of documentation, data, writing and production. The personal risks taken while performing the duties as well as the impact on society of the messages conveyed will also be evaluated.

CLOSING DATE
Applications shall be submitted by Tuesday, 31 May 2016 (23.59 CEST).

For further information: press@cei.int

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS
2015: Aleksandra Bogdani (Albania) in the section “Professional Journalists”; Nadia Burdey (Ukraine) in the section “Young Professional Journalists” – Special mention to Mirko Boskovic, Vlado Otasevic and Ana Komatina (Montenegro) 2014: Brankica Stanković (Serbia) in the section “Professional Journalists”; Sadeta Fišić, Jovana Kljajić and Maida Salkanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the section “Young Professional Journalists” – Special mention to Anna Babinets (Ukraine) 2013: Mahir Šahinović (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Rosen Tsvetkov (Bulgaria) – Special mention to Investigative Reporting Project Italy (IRPI) 2012: Matej Surc and Blaz Zgaga (Slovenia) – Special investigative diploma to Telnis Skuqi (Albania) and special mention to CIN Sarajevo 2011: Włodzmierz Kalicki (Poland) – Special investigative journalism diploma to Artan Hoxha (Albania), Dijana Subotički (Serbia) and to Matej Surcand Blaz Zgaga (Slovenia) 2010: Adrian Mogoş (Romania) – Special mention to Iryna Khalip (Belarus) and Lydia Pavlova (Bulgaria) 2009: Besar Likmeta (Albania) – Special mention to Esad Hecimovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Stefan Candea (Romania) 2008: Drago Hedl (Croatia)

ORGANISING INSTITUTIONS

Central European Initiative (CEI) – www.cei.int
The CEI is a regional intergovernmental forum committed to supporting European integration through cooperation between and among its Member States and with the European Union, other interested public institutions or private and non-governmental organisations, as well as international and regional organisations. In order to offer a solid contribution to European integration the CEI combines multilateral diplomacy and project management, both as donor and recipient, while also bridging European macro-regions. The CEI, whose Headquarters is located in Trieste, is composed of 18 Member States: 10 EU members (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland,Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) and 8 non-EU members (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine). In December 2011, the CEI was granted the Observer Status in the General Assembly of the United Nations.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) – www.seemo.org
The SEEMO is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations, news agencies and news media in South East and Central Europe. With its committees, the SEEMO aims to create a bridge between international media activities and the media developments in the region. One of SEEMO’s main activities is protecting press freedom by helping journalists and media outlets in South East and Central Europe. Over 60 percent of SEEMO’s press releases and letters of protest to governmental and other officials have had positive results. The SEEMO works in cooperation with the International Academy – International Media Center (IA-IMC) and the South East and Central Europe PR Organisation (SECEPRO).

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) – www.kas.de/medien-europa/en/
With 80 offices and projects in more than 100 countries worldwide, the KAS contributes to promoting democracy, the rule of law and social market economy. An essential part of this work is the promotion of free and independent media and the support of professional and ethical media coverage. The Media Program South East Europe, established in 2007, is part of the global media programme of the KAS. It concentrates its efforts in this field in three main directions – education and trainings for journalists, who recognise their social, political, informational and watch-dog role; media policy and media ethics for an independent and multifaceted media landscape; and a professional and valueoriented political communication serving for a better understanding between citizens, politicians and civil society

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