Kosovo journalist wins 2012 Dr. Busek – SEEMO Award

VIENNA The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO) has announced the winner of the 2012 Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award. This affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI) said that the recipient, of the award, given for "better understanding in south east Europe", was Jeta Xharra. Kosovo journalist wins 2012 Dr. Busek – SEEMO Award The organization issued a statement on Tuesday announcing the decision: "A 10-member international jury chose Xharra for the award based on her outstanding contribution to the process of democratization and better understanding in South East Europe. The award, which carries a cash prize of €3,000, is scheduled to be presented on 16 November 2012 in Vienna by Dr. Erhard Busek, president of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, and by Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO secretary general. Since 2005, Xharra has been the Kosovo director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) as well as a presenter on, and the editor-in-chief of, "Life in Kosovo", which combines investigative journalism and discussions. Kosovo’s most-watched television current affairs program, "Life in Kosovo" is shown weekly on public broadcaster Radio Television Kosovo and has pushed the boundaries of debate, holding authorities to account and opening discussion on previously-taboo subjects. BIRN Kosovo has 70 staff members and contributors throughout Kosovo. BIRN produces English-language publications, such as Balkan Insight and Prishtina Insight, as well as broadcast programs and print publications in local languages, including "Life in Kosovo”, the newsletter Justice in Kosovo and reports from BIRN’s Courts Monitoring Project. Xharra started her journalistic career as a fixer/local producer for the BBC News and Channel 4 in 1998, and later became the manager of the BBC Kosovo Bureau. In 1999, she worked for the BBC News in Albania and Macedonia. In 2003 she opened the Kosovo office of the London-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Xharra has lived most of her life in Pristina, Kosovo, where she attended school and university. She studied drama at the Academy of Arts in Kosovo. She also lived in London, where she obtained a master’s degree in War Studies at King's College in 2000 and a master’s degree with distinction in Screenwriting from the London College of Printing in 2002. In London, Xharra wrote the play "Warless," which was presented as a reading at London's Royal Court Theatre during the Young Writer's Festival in 2004. She also contributed to different publications in the United Kingdom, including the Independent, the Economist, Sunday Telegraph and Jane's Intelligence Review. While in the United Kingdom, Xharra worked for the Foreign News Planning Desk at the BBC World Service and for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. The Dr. Erhard Busek - SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South, Eastern and Central Europe honours journalists, editors, media executives, media experts, writers and journalism trainers in South East Europe who have contributed to promoting better understanding in the region and who have worked towards ending minority-related problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia, gender discrimination, homophobia etc. The award is sponsored by Busek, who is also former vice-chancellor of Austria, Jean Monet Professor ad personam, president of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), and former special coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe." SEEMO

Kosovo journalist wins 2012 Dr. Busek – SEEMO Award

The organization issued a statement on Tuesday announcing the decision:

"A 10-member international jury chose Xharra for the award based on her outstanding contribution to the process of democratization and better understanding in South East Europe.

The award, which carries a cash prize of €3,000, is scheduled to be presented on 16 November 2012 in Vienna by Dr. Erhard Busek, president of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, and by Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO secretary general.

Since 2005, Xharra has been the Kosovo director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) as well as a presenter on, and the editor-in-chief of, "Life in Kosovo", which combines investigative journalism and discussions. Kosovo’s most-watched television current affairs program, "Life in Kosovo" is shown weekly on public broadcaster Radio Television Kosovo and has pushed the boundaries of debate, holding authorities to account and opening discussion on previously-taboo subjects.

BIRN Kosovo has 70 staff members and contributors throughout Kosovo. BIRN produces English-language publications, such as Balkan Insight and Prishtina Insight, as well as broadcast programs and print publications in local languages, including "Life in Kosovo”, the newsletter Justice in Kosovo and reports from BIRN’s Courts Monitoring Project.

Xharra started her journalistic career as a fixer/local producer for the BBC News and Channel 4 in 1998, and later became the manager of the BBC Kosovo Bureau. In 1999, she worked for the BBC News in Albania and Macedonia. In 2003 she opened the Kosovo office of the London-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting.

Xharra has lived most of her life in Pristina, Kosovo, where she attended school and university. She studied drama at the Academy of Arts in Kosovo. She also lived in London, where she obtained a master’s degree in War Studies at King's College in 2000 and a master’s degree with distinction in Screenwriting from the London College of Printing in 2002.

In London, Xharra wrote the play "Warless," which was presented as a reading at London's Royal Court Theatre during the Young Writer's Festival in 2004. She also contributed to different publications in the United Kingdom, including the Independent, the Economist, Sunday Telegraph and Jane's Intelligence Review. While in the United Kingdom, Xharra worked for the Foreign News Planning Desk at the BBC World Service and for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.

The Dr. Erhard Busek - SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South, Eastern and Central Europe honours journalists, editors, media executives, media experts, writers and journalism trainers in South East Europe who have contributed to promoting better understanding in the region and who have worked towards ending minority-related problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia, gender discrimination, homophobia etc.

The award is sponsored by Busek, who is also former vice-chancellor of Austria, Jean Monet Professor ad personam, president of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), and former special coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe."