Arbana Xharra
Arbana Xharra is an investigative journalist from Kosovo. She has won numerous awards for her reporting and was a 2015 recipient of the International Women of Courage Award from the US State Department.
Career
Arbana Xharra has been working as a journalist since 2001.[1] She worked for Koha Ditore, the first independent newspaper established in Kosovo,[2] in 2006 and 2007. She has been a contributor to Balkan Insight[3] and is currently editor-in-chief of Zëri.[4]
Investigative reporter
Arbana Xharra believes that for democracy to flourish, the press must have the right to investigate public concerns.[5] She has written about a wide range of issues including a 2006 investigation on government expense reports and financial mismanagement;[3] a 2007 examination of inflation and food shortages;[6] a report in 2010 questioning how the assets of the state-run Telecom of Kosovo were being used;[5] and relationships between businesses and politics. Xharra faced legal action in 2012 when a report she prepared on government corruption linked a local business with politicians.[7] She was exonerated by the court, whose ruling stated that she had complied with the Code of Ethics for print media of Kosovo.[8]
Awards and recognition
Xharra was three-time winner of the UNDP Prize for her articles on corruption in Kosovo in 2006, 2007, and 2008.[7] In 2012 she was awarded a Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence and studied the changing attitudes towards Islam in Kosovo.[9] In 2013 she was awarded the Rexhai Surroi Award by the KOHA Group for an article on extremism and the Stirring Up Debate Award from INPO Ferizaj[10] (Progress Initiative)[11] for creating public discourse on religious extremism.[10] In 2015 she won the US Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award for the European division.[4]
References
- ^ "Flet gazetarja Arbana Xharra: Ekstremistet islamike më kanë kërcënuar me djemtë e mi". Koha Jone. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "KOHA Ditore Online". online.koha.net. KOHAnet. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ a b Xharra, Arbana (October 17, 2006). "Kosovo report lifts lid on officials' lavish lifestyle". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Arbana Xharra, wins the Secretary of State's IWOC award". RTK Live. March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Wave of threats against print media journalists". Reporters Without Borders. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Leviev-Sawyer, Clive (23 November 2007). "INSIGHT: The Kosovo formula?". Sofia, Bulgaria: The Sofia Echo. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Returning to the lawsuit against Arbana Xharra". Reporters Without Borders. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Hoxha, Donjetë (21 January 2013). "Zhugolli Humb Gjyqin Ndaj Gazetares Arbana Xharra". Jeta në Kosovë. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence: 2012 Fellows". birn.eu.com. birn.eu.com. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Two Awards for BIRN Fellowship Alumna Arbana Xharra". Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence. 27 December 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "Historiku". http://inpo-ks.org. Progress Initiative. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
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