Belgrade – ESI at Journalist fellowship alumni meeting

Belgrade, 2018. Photo: Kristof Bender. 

ESI's Kristof Bender attended an alumni meeting of the Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence of which he is a jury member. The event was organised by BIRN from 15 to 17 December 2022 in Belgrade.

Every year 10 journalists are chosen to write compelling long-form stories from 14 countries between the Balkans and the Baltic coast. Their output takes the form of features, analysis and investigations, presented in depth for a global audience. The fellowship provides journalists with the financial and sustained editorial support required to uncover the processes shaping societies and democracies in the region.

The Fellowship has been running since 2007. More than 150 journalists have so far participated in this programme for professional advancement. The current generation of fellows was selected in May 2022. Current and former fellows met in Belgrade to discuss current challenges in journalism, the sustainability of critical independent media and the particularities of long-form journalism.