National evaluation jury for the 2025 EU Investigative Journalism Awards revealed

After the successful completion of the evaluation process for the EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2025, Thomson Media introduces the Evaluation Jury in all participating countries. The panel consists of highly respected professionals in journalism and investigative reporting across the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

This jury in all countries  carefully reviewed all submissions, applying rigorous criteria including relevance, research depth, clarity, ethical standards, originality, and overall impact.

ALBANIA

1. Blerjana Bino – Co-founder and executive director of SCiDEV, Blerjana is an expert in media, democracy, civil society, and EU integration. She has experience in government advising, academia, and international collaboration, focusing on communication strategies and capacity-building. A member of the Safe Journalists Network, she advocates for media freedom and journalist safety. She holds a PhD in Communication and an MSc in Politics and Communication from LSE.

2. Fatjona Mejdini – Director for the Western Balkans at GI-TOC, Fatjona supports civil society and investigative journalists in tackling organised crime. A former journalist with over a decade of experience, she co-founded the Albania Investigative Journalism Lab and contributes to outlets including The New York Times. She is a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow and holds a BA in Journalism and an MA in Public Administration.

3. Rashela Shehu – Journalist and academic specialising in investigative and digital media, Rashela has been a Deutsche Welle correspondent since 2017 and lectures at the University of Tirana. Her work focuses on human rights, environmental protection, and education, with award-winning reporting on the Vjosa River and the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign. She also scripted the podcast The Vjosa Story.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

1. Davor Glavaš is a media professional with over 40 years in journalism and 30 years in international media development. A  former lecturer at the University of Zagreb and an expert in media freedom, legislation, and policy, he has led EU and USG-funded projects in 20+ countries and held senior roles at BBC World Service, Feral Tribune, and Danas.  

2. Dr. Lejla Turčilo is a professor at the University of Sarajevo, heading the Department of Communication Science/Journalism and the Center for Lifelong Learning in Sarajevo. Author and co-author of multiple books and publications, she researches online communication, media literacy, intercultural communication, and media freedom.

3. Vuk Vučetić is Associate Professor and Vice Dean at the University of East Sarajevo, holding a PhD in Communication Studies. A former journalist, he serves on the Complaints Commission of the Press and Online Media Council and has authored books and articles on media literacy and political communication, while actively supporting media education for youth.

KOSOVO

1. Anamari Repić is a journalist and media consultant with over 22 years of experience in Kosovo and Serbia. She worked a decade at Radio Free Europe and is currently a Belgrade correspondent for RTK. As Deputy Director General at RTK, she helped launch a Serbian-language channel and enhance minority programming, and also trained journalists and civil society on media literacy and communication.

2. Jeton Mehmeti is a lecturer at Rochester Institute of Technology Kosovo and former Chairman of the Independent Media Commission. Vice-President of the Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities, he specialises in media freedom, regulation, and disinformation, with publications via IREX and SEENPM. He has evaluated fact-checking networks and already served on the EU Investigative Journalism Awards jury.

3. Kosovë Gjoci is a journalist, media producer, and communications expert with over 20 years of experience. Founder of MoonLight Production and the Albanian-language audiobook library “Ngo e Mso,” he has produced documentaries for ARTE, RTK, and others. He is currently a Kosovo correspondent for Euronews Albania and has led PR campaigns, trained journalists, and managed communications projects for media, NGOs, and international organisations.

NORTH MACEDONIA

1. Valentin Nesovski has 25 years of experience in strategic communications, public relations, media, journalism, and capacity building. He worked as a journalist and editor in various Macedonian and foreign media. He is now working as a communication and media expert and PR trainer.
   
2. Sonja Delevskа is a journalist in the field of judiciary, prosecution, police, on topics related to corruption and organised crime, but also as a parliamentary reporter. In the last decade, she has additionally focused on topics in the field of human rights and freedoms in North Macedonia, with an emphasis on children’s rights, which have resulted in important journalistic awards.
   
3. Ognjen Zorić, is a journalist with over 20 years of experience covering the Western Balkans. Skilled in writing, editing, and producing stories for both local and global audiences, working behind and in front of the camera. Currently a correspondent for AFP; previously worked for Al Jazeera Balkans, Radio Free Europe, and B92.

MONTENEGRO

1. Lamija Alečković is a media expert with over two decades years in journalism, newsroom leadership, and media development across the Western Balkans. She trains journalists, advises media organisations on content, digital transformation, and strategy, and had held senior roles including Editor-in-Chief of HRT News and Executive Producer at Al Jazeera Balkans. She also teaches TV journalism at the University of Zagreb.

2. Leila Bičakčić is a founding member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s award-winning Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) Her leadership has contributed to high-profile indictments, and she researches sustainable media models and digital transformation. CIN has earned many journalistic awards, including the Daniel Pearl Award and recognition from the European Press Prize.

3. Marijana Camović Veličković is a Montenegrin journalist, and media expert. She has held leadership roles in the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro, RTCG’s Council, and the European Federation of Journalists, contributed to legal reform initiatives, authored studies on media freedom, and continues to work as a freelance journalist.

SERBIA

1. Aleksandra Nikšić has been the editor of BBC News in Serbian since 2017 and brings over 35 years of journalism experience, covering conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and global media issues. She has worked for Time, Daily Telegraph, AFP, and helped launch VICE Serbia. Aleksandra has also translated several books, comics, and the animated series South Park.

2. Milka Tadić Mijović is a journalist, media executive, and civic activist, co-founder of Montenegro’s first independent weekly, Monitor. Recognised as one of RSF’s “100 Information Heroes,” she has served on boards including the Open Society Foundations in Montenegro and the Council of Europe Steering Committee on the Mass Media. As president of the Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro, she focuses on media freedom, rule of law, high-level corruption, and environmental issues in Montenegro and the Balkans.

3. Snježana Milivojević is a media and communication expert, former dean of Bayan Communication College in Oman, and long-time professor at the University of Belgrade, where she founded the Center for Media Research. She has held visiting positions at Columbia, Oxford, and other universities and has published extensively on political communication, digital media, and media policy.

TÜRKIYE

1. Çiğdem Toker is a Turkish investigative journalist and commentator specialising in public finance, corruption, and parliamentary reporting. She has worked for major outlets, authored two books, and received awards including the Sedat Simavi and EU Investigative Journalism awards. She currently writes for T24 and hosts the YouTube channel Near Glasses-Yakın Gözlü.

2. Gökçer Tahincioğlu is a Turkish journalist, author, and Ankara representative for T24. He began his career at Milliyet, serving as court correspondent and news director, and has focused on human rights, press freedom, and investigative reporting. He has received multiple awards, including the Metin Göktepe News of the Year and Yunus Nadi Novel of the Year Award for his novel Kiraz Ağacı. He is also the author of several books and editor of anthologies on justice and memory.

3. Nurcan Gökdemir is a Turkish journalist and Ankara representative for BirGü newspaper, with a career spanning several decades at agencies including ANKA and Anadolu. She specialises in social issues such as public resource use, urban transformation, environmental protection, and labor rights. Her work has been recognised with awards from the Chamber of Architects, the Journalists Association of Turkey, and the Association of Contemporary Journalists.

The national ceremonies will take place throughout the next three months in each participating country. The award fund in each country is 10,000 euros, distributed as 5,000 euros for first place, 3,000 euros for second, and 2,000 euros for third. Prizes are cumulative, so if two applicants share a rank, the prize for that position will be divided equally between them.

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2025 is part of the project “Strengthening Quality Journalism in Western Balkans and Türkiye II”, marking the final year of the initiative.

The project is funded by the European Union, and it is implemented by a consortium composed of Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – BIRN Hub, Central European University (CEU) – Hungary, Association of Journalists (AJ) – Türkiye, Thomson Media (TM) – Germany, University Goce Delcev Stip (UGD) – North Macedonia, The Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) – North Macedonia, Media Association of South-East Europe (MASE) – Montenegro and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Kosovo (BIRN Kosovo).