Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence

Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence Journalists are increasingly required to cover complex issues, trends and events that are shaping the

Keen to encourage professional, in-depth, cross-border reporting in Southeast Europe, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and Erste Foundation set up the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence programme. In 2020, we have expanded the programme to include countries in Central Europe: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The newly branded Fellowship for Journalistic Exc

ellence now covers 14 countries, and each year provides 10 journalists with funding and professional support to conduct their own research project. Fellows also benefit from membership in an alumni network of the best mid-career professionals across the CEE region.

In the arid north-east, the towns monopolise the running water while the villagers dig ever-deeper wells, in a race to t...
11/04/2025

In the arid north-east, the towns monopolise the running water while the villagers dig ever-deeper wells, in a race to the bottom that portends Europe’s hotter, drier future.
Read more:

In the arid north-east, the towns monopolise the running water while the villagers dig ever-deeper wells, in a race to the bottom that portends Europe’s hotter, drier future.

The Kosovars who had traveled to Syria and Iraq had been children during the war. There was a sense in which they owed t...
29/03/2025

The Kosovars who had traveled to Syria and Iraq had been children during the war. There was a sense in which they owed their freedom to Western militaries. And yet, they were now ready to die fighting those militaries in a faraway land. What’s more, if they were looking for conflict, there were opportunities aplenty close to home: the Serb-majority municipalities of northern Kosovo had no shortage of nationalist gangs spoiling for a fight. “They didn’t have to go to Syria,” was a common sentiment at the time. “They could have just gone up the road.”

The survivors came back to prison, reintegration programmes and arguments over headscarves in the classroom.

Read the story:

For a small country, Kosovo sent a lot of citizens to the caliphate. The survivors came back to prison, reintegration programmes and arguments over headscarves in the classroom.

For a small country, Kosovo sent a lot of citizens to the caliphate.Its emergence as recruiting ground for extremists wo...
27/03/2025

For a small country, Kosovo sent a lot of citizens to the caliphate.

Its emergence as recruiting ground for extremists would contrast with its pro-American image. In Pristina’s cafes and bars, there was disdain at the idea of homegrown jihadis running amok in the Middle East.

The Kosovars who had traveled to Syria and Iraq had been children during the war. There was a sense in which they owed their freedom to Western militaries. And yet, they were now ready to die fighting those militaries in a faraway land. What’s more, if they were looking for conflict, there were opportunities aplenty close to home: the Serb-majority municipalities of northern Kosovo had no shortage of nationalist gangs spoiling for a fight. “They didn’t have to go to Syria,” was a common sentiment at the time. “They could have just gone up the road.”

The survivors came back to prison, reintegration programmes and arguments over headscarves in the classroom.

Read the story:

For a small country, Kosovo sent a lot of citizens to the caliphate. The survivors came back to prison, reintegration programmes and arguments over headscarves in the classroom.

For a small country, Kosovo sent a lot of citizens to the caliphate. The survivors came back to prison, reintegration pr...
26/03/2025

For a small country, Kosovo sent a lot of citizens to the caliphate. The survivors came back to prison, reintegration programmes and arguments over headscarves in the classroom.
Read more:

For a small country, Kosovo sent a lot of citizens to the caliphate. The survivors came back to prison, reintegration programmes and arguments over headscarves in the classroom.

19/03/2025

🤗 We would like to thank everyone who applied for the Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence 2025!

🤩 We received 114 applications, and the evaluation process is currently underway. Selected journalists will be contacted around mid-April. 📅

📢 Only a few hours left!👩‍💻🧑‍💻Don’t miss the opportunity to apply for the Fellowship 2025 call by midnight.10 journalist...
18/03/2025

📢 Only a few hours left!

👩‍💻🧑‍💻Don’t miss the opportunity to apply for the Fellowship 2025 call by midnight.

10 journalists will be chosen through an open competition to receive a 3,000-euro bursary, mentorship, and editorial guidance to produce agenda-setting investigative stories.

Apply now on the link: https://balkaninsight.com/fellowship-for-journalistic-excellence/apply-now/

ERSTE Foundation

12/03/2025

📣 Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence call deadline is approaching! ⌛️

💡 If you have an idea for a big story that you want to report to the highest standards, pitch it to us. We will support you with quality editorial support and a €3,000 bursary.

Call for applications for the Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence is open until March 18th.

Find out all the details and apply now. 👇

https://balkaninsight.com/fellowship-for-journalistic-excellence/apply-now/

ERSTE Foundation

Are you prepared to develop your reporting abilities? Then, apply to a new Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence open c...
06/03/2025

Are you prepared to develop your reporting abilities? Then, apply to a new Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence open call! ✅

If you are a journalist from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, or Slovakia, this call is an excellent opportunity to advance your career.

If you are chosen, you will get:

Intensive training & mentoring 🤝
€3,000 bursary 💸
Support for editing and networking 💪
Vienna (May 13–17): introductory seminar 💻
Opportunities for publications both locally and internationally 🤗 Participation in our network of alumni ✅

📅 The application deadline is March 18th.

Apply now: https://balkaninsight.com/fellowship-for-journalistic-excellence/apply-now/

05/03/2025

📢 Calling all journalists from Central and South Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia)!

Are you ready to take your reporting skills to the next level? Then, apply for a new Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence open call! ✅

As a selected fellow, you'll receive:

💶 €3,000 bursary
🧑‍🏫 Intensive training & mentoring
🤝 Editorial & networking support
🇦🇹 Introductory seminar in Vienna (May 13-17)
💻 Publication opportunities globally and regionally
🤗 Membership in our alumni network

📅 The deadline for application is March 18: https://birn.eu.com/news-and-events/call-for-applications-fellowship-for-journalistic-excellence-2025/

What's holding you back from applying today? 😉

19/02/2025

📰 Call for journalists from Central and South-Eastern Europe 📣

Do you have a compelling story that needs deep research, extensive reporting, and editorial support? The Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence is awarding 10 fellowships to journalists from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia.

📌 You will get:
✅ €3,000 bursary for your reporting
✅ Intensive mentorship & editorial training
✅ A chance to publish globally with BIRN and its media partners
✅ Exclusive networking & professional development opportunities
✅ Additional awards ranging from €1,000 to €3,000 for the three best stories.
This year’s theme is Resilience—a chance to explore how societies, individuals, and institutions adapt to change. We want to hear from you!

📅 Find more information on the link and apply by March 18. 🔗 👇

https://balkaninsight.com/fellowship-for-journalistic-excellence/apply-now/

📰 Call for journalists from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Nor...
18/02/2025

📰 Call for journalists from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia. 📣

The Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence is offering 10 fellowships to journalists from Central and South-Eastern Europe. If you have an investigative story that requires on-the-ground research and expert mentorship, this is your chance to publish it.

📌 What you get?
✅ €3,000 bursary to fund your investigation
✅ Editorial mentorship and professional training with top international editors
✅ Networking opportunities through BIRN’s media network
✅ Publication in English and local languages, reaching global audiences
✅ Awards of up to €3,000 for the three best stories

📍 Theme of the Year: RESILIENCE
🔹 What role does resilience play in today’s changing world?
🔹 How do societies, communities, and individuals survive and adapt?

Find more details on the link, apply by March 18, and use the opportunity to produce impactful journalism with global reach. 📅 👇

https://balkaninsight.com/fellowship-for-journalistic-excellence/apply-now/

Bialowieza had other problems before it became a frontline in Europe’s migration crisis. The forest has a natural predat...
16/12/2024

Bialowieza had other problems before it became a frontline in Europe’s migration crisis. The forest has a natural predator: the timber industry.

New Lines Magazine
Check out our latest long read:

“Hybrid warfare” brings trash, violence and death to a fragile ecosystem.

In our latest long-read, find out how “hybrid warfare” brings trash, violence and death to a fragile ecosystem.New Lines...
15/12/2024

In our latest long-read, find out how “hybrid warfare” brings trash, violence and death to a fragile ecosystem.

New Lines Magazine 👇

“Hybrid warfare” brings trash, violence and death to a fragile ecosystem.

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Keen to encourage professional, in-depth, cross-border reporting in Southeast Europe, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and Erste Foundation set up the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence programme. In 2020, we have expanded the programme to include countries in Central Europe: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

The newly branded Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence now covers 14 countries and each year provides 10 journalists with funding and professional support to conduct their own research project. Fellows also benefit from membership in an alumni network of the best mid-career professionals across the CEE region.