Celebrating Excellence in Investigative Journalism: 283 Entries from Western Balkans and Türkiye
An impressive number of 283 applications representing 107 media outlets, including 27 local ones, from the Western Balkans region and Türkiye have been submitted for this year’s edition of the esteemed EU Investigative Journalism Award. The call, open from 13 May to 13 June 2024, saw numerous authors nominating their investigative stories for both national and regional awards.
The objective of the call was to recognise outstanding investigative journalism that sheds light on critical issues such as freedom of expression, the rule of law, and various national and regional dynamics, including organised crime, corruption, extremism, and human rights violations. Applications were divided between 243 applications vying for national awards and the rest competing for the regional award.
Following the closure of the application process, an Evaluation Jury, composed of local and international experts, editors, academics, and seasoned journalists, will commence the review and evaluation of submissions. The judges will rigorously assess the applications based on relevance, quality and presentation, objectivity and ethics, originality and innovativeness, and impact and effect.
Winners of the national EU Investigative Journalism Award 2024 will be revealed at national ceremonies during September and October.
In each country, three top stories will be awarded €5,000 (first prize), €3,000 (second prize), and €2,000 (third prize). The same prize structure will apply for the regional award.
The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 is part of the broader project, “Strengthening Quality Journalism in Western Balkans and Türkiye II.” The activities under this project aim to recognise and promote exceptional achievements in investigative journalism while simultaneously enhancing awareness and capacities regarding the importance of quality journalism within the region.
Project is funded by the European Union, and it is implemented by a consortium that includes the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN Hub), Central European University (CEU) in Hungary, Association of Journalists (AJ) in Türkiye, Thomson Media (TM) in Germany, University Goce Delchev Shtip (UGD) in North Macedonia, The Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) in North Macedonia, Media Association of South-East Europe (MASE) in Montenegro, and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Kosovo (BIRN Kosovo).
