BIRN

🤩 We have some exciting news for you. Mark your calendars! 🥁 The 16th #BIRNSummerSchool of Investigative Journalism is happening from August 17 to 23, 2026! Stay tuned. We’ll share more details with you soon!

🧵 A diverse group of students, journalists, researchers, civil society activists, and human rights practitioners from the region participated in a three-day regional workshop in Sarajevo focused on documenting and archiving human rights violations and international crimes.

Since 2024, @ARTEfr, @Internazionale, @elpaisinenglish, @Kathimerini_gr, Le Soir, @Telexhu, @irlv, @gazeta_wyborcza and @BIRN_Network have joined forces to build an independent, reliable, and accessible journalism network across Europe. Here are some of the results of our work.

#BIRN Albania and Scidev have released their latest annual report. The report provides a comprehensive overview of developments impacting media freedom, pluralism, and the safety of journalists in Albania in 2025, and is available in English and Albanian. birn.eu.com/news-and-event…

🚨 Kremlin influence network exposed by @BalkanInsight Investigators say the Serbian site Eagle Eye Explore pushed Russian propaganda and AfD talking points while hiding its ownership behind anonymous domains and crypto funding. Read the investigation below 👇

Albania’s Constitutional Court ruled today that a government decision to block the social media platform #TikTok violated freedom of expression and press freedom, upholding a complaint filed by #BIRN Albania and the Albanian Association of Journalists. birn.eu.com/news-and-event…

This year’s call for Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence is now closed! Thank you to all who applied. We received more than 150 applications! We kindly ask for your patience during the evaluation process. All applicants will be informed about the results by mid-April.

Read the full analysis in @Rept_Democracy’s Trend Report 2026. An expert view: Andrius Tursa (@Teneo) balkaninsight.com/2026/02/01/dem…

🧵New Frontex data shows a sharp drop in irregular migration to its lowest level since 2021. Asylum applications also fell, but demographic pressures and labour shortages in Central and Eastern Europe are keeping migration high on the political agenda.

🚀 Stay up to date every month by subscribing to our free newsletter, Around #BIRN in Thirty Days! 📧 This is the February edition, featuring BIRN news, @BalkanInsight investigations, and our picks for what to read, listen to, and watch: mailchi.mp/birn/around-bi…

📢 This is your last chance to apply for the @RDFellowship! If you are a journalist from one of 14 Central or South Eastern European countries, you could get support for your story. Apply now ➡️ birn.eu.com/news-and-event… 🤝 @erstefoundation #OpenCall #Journalists #BIRN

Congratulations to @BIRNSrbija journalist Radmilo Markovic for receiving the Svetionicari [Beacon] award! 👏 🏆 @decentralizuj has awarded @radomir_martin for exceptional contributions to combating corruption in #Serbia: birn.eu.com/news-and-event… 📷 @decentralizuj

‼️ Just one day remains! Apply now for #BIRN’s @RDFellowship before the March 10 deadline. ⏳ Find out what we offer: birn.eu.com/news-and-event…

This report analyses how narratives targeting identity, including gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation, are increasingly used in disinformation campaigns to deepen polarisation and undermine trust in institutions. #InternationalWomensDay2026

On this #InternationalWomensDay ♀️, we present #BIRN Albania’s new research report, ‘Narratives of Division: Mapping Identity-Based Disinformation in Albania – Monitoring of Albania’s Information Ecosystem (2022–2025)’. birn.eu.com/news-and-event…

❓ Do you have a story you want to tell? We can help you get the support you need to report it. The @RDFellowship 2026 gives you access to great resources and mentorship to help you grow even more as a reporter. Learn more and apply by March 10: birn.eu.com/news-and-event…

Read more in @Rept_Democracy’s Trend Report 2026. 🤝 @erstefoundation balkaninsight.com/2026/02/01/fro…

🧵 Attitudes toward the EU in Central Europe are shifting: perceptions are becoming more mixed, but strong support for cooperation remains. According to experts, “populists try to step up disillusionment and shift the blame to the EU, reinforcing Euroscepticism.”

💻 Recently, Good Commons, a collective run by @MSforfreemedia, JamiiAfrica, and @splicenewsroom, published a case study on #BIRN’s Engaged Citizens Reporting tool. Read more about what we do and what our key success factors are. goodcommons.world/casestudies/ba…

‼️ Attention: The @RDFellowship 2026 is accepting applications from journalists until March 10. If you have a story idea and need support to develop it, find out more and apply. 🤝 @erstefoundation birn.eu.com/news-and-event…

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia and UNDP MK presented three awards and one special recognition in a competition for the best journalistic stories published in 2025. The competition focused on efforts to tackle air pollution in the country.

We congratulate Bojan Blazevski, an alumnus of BIRN's @RDFellowship, on winning second prize 🥈 for his story about the phosphogypsum landfill in North Macedonia, published by @Prizma_BIRN and @BalkanInsight. 👏