THE LONELY LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS - Four stories of journalists from the Balkans

For years, the south eastern European nations have occupied nothing more than mid-table positions in the media freedom rankings of non-governmental organisations such as Reporters Without Borders. It’s difficult to discern significant progress. Concentrations of market power, digitalisation and the dependence of most publishers and broadcasters on the goodwill of politicians and grants from the private sector lead to financial bottlenecks, the loss of independence and ultimately a lack of diversity of information. Networks such as the "Balkan Investigative Research Network" support the socially indispensable oversight function of the media. The film shows the stories on which Serbian journalist Jelena Zorić, the Romanian journalist couple Diana Onciou and Vlad Stoicescu, Albanian Aleksandra Bogdan and Bulgarian Anton Batakov are working, how they are trying to improve the situation and what obstacles they come up against in the process. In-depth insights into a press and broadcasting landscape characterised by a loss of control.

This will be followed by a discussion in English.

SlowTalk after the film: Southeastern Europe -Journalism under Pressure

The documentary THE LONELY LONGDISTANCE RUNNERS shows how journalists and media managers in Southeastern Europe come under pressure. They bring unpleasant questions to the public, demand transparency in the political culture and are often hindered or threatened in their work. Journalists from the region discuss and report on their experiences. The names of the panelists can be found on our website. Event in cooperation with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Guests:

Andon Baltakov - former director general of Bulgarian National Radio

Alexandra Bogdani - investigative journalist from Albania

Boris Missirkov - director of the documentary, AgitProp Sofia

Hendrik Sittig - Head of Media Program South East Europe of Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Sofia