| Recent developments in Zimbabwe have made it clear to the world that the battle for freedom of expression is far from over in this country. In the weeks preceding the parliamentary elections in June journalists (from non-governmental media) were threatened and harassed by supporters of ZANU-PF, the police and so-called war veterans. Several times government politicians have accused Zimbabwean media of unpatriotic behaviour if they kept writing critically about the land-occupations. Tragic highlight was the bomb attack on the office of the one of the impartial newspaper Daily News
The events in Zimbabwe are not unfamiliar for the independent Balkan media. The constant attacks on the independent radio station B92 in Belgrado are well-known. More recent the unfree work climate of journalists in Kosovo comes to the fore. In the first week of September a Albanian journalist Kosovo has been murdered in Kosovo. His contacts with the Democratic League of Kosovo allegedly signed his death.
At the mediamarket Dutch radio journalist Jo van der Spek talks with two young journalists from Zimbabwe and the Balkan about their profession, their ideals, hopes and fears.
Friday 22 September 14.00 - 15.00
De Balie Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 10 Amsterdam
Grace Kwinjeh has worked as a journalist for several media in Zimbabwe. She has been founding member of the Independent Journalists Association Zimbabwe. She is a member of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change
Julia Bogoeva is a journalist working for Yugoslavian media. Currently she reports on the hearings of the war tribunal in The Hague.
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