Seven investigative journalism projects in six countries will receive support from the granting scheme of the project South East European Media Observatory in 2015.

The independent jury decided to award one project from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and two proposals from Serbia.

The independent jury reviewed 19 applications for the latest call for proposals by the project South East European Media Observatory disclose corrupt practices undermining the proper functioning of free, independent, pluralistic and viable media in these countries. Each applicant will receive information individually about the decision of the jury after this announcement from the Center for Independent Journalism Budapest which administers the call on behalf of the project partners.

The jury included investigative reporters and editors with international expertise: Stefan Candea, Director and Co-founder of the Romanian Centre for Investigative Journalism (www.crji.org); Sasa Lekovic, Director of the Investigative Journalism Center, Zagreb (www.cin-ijc.com) and András Lőke, Chairman of the Board of the SOMA Foundation Budapest, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ittlakunk.hu.

This investigative journalism supporting scheme is part of the second phase of the project South East European Media Observatory – Building Capacities and Coalitions for Monitoring Media Integrity and Advancing Media Reforms” which aims at supporting integrity both in public service and commercial media in South East Europe. The South East European Media Observatory is a regional partnership of civil society organizations, coordinated by the Peace Institute, Ljubljana. The financial support for the grants is provided by the European Commission as part of the project to be implemented in 2015 and 2016.

The investigative stories will be published in local languages and their English translation will be posted on the project website.  

Further information: ilona.moricz@cij.hu