KosovaLive

KosovaLive was founded in 2000 at the time when there was a growing need for an independent news agency that would be serving the flourishing media scene in Kosovo. Initially established as a non-governmental organization, it came to light with the initiative and support of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and start-up grant provided by a consortium of donors, among which Swiss Foreign Ministry, OSI, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through IREX, German Foreign Ministry and Press Now, just to mention the most prominent ones. For years, the internet based news agency KosovaLive served as the main source of information for most of the leading daily newspapers and broadcasters, as well as local and international governmental and non-governmental institutions/organizations working in Kosovo. In its second years of existence, turned into a subscription only internet based news agency, while continuing to be one of the most trusted and most widely used independent news sources.KosovaLive today is a much larger organization than at its start. KosovaLive NGO, which continues its media related activities within its non-governmental organization mandate, has given birth to KosovaLive Media Group, which in turn houses two entities. The first being Kosovalive 360, which is increasing its status of one of the Kosovo's most reliable news portals, and SociaLive, which provides ever increasing up to date advertising and social media markeeting.

Founder

Kelmend Hapçiu has over twenty five years of journalistic experience as a reporter, editor and media manager. He is the founder, director/editor-in-chief of the only independent news agency in Kosovo, KosovaLive. He was reporter/columnist/editor of the first ever independent publication in Albanian in Kosovo, weekly Koha. Mr. Hapçiu served as its editor until 1997, when the weekly turned into daily. He worked as the foreign news editor/reporter of the daily Bujku, published by the original staff of daily Rilindja (newspaper), which was banned by the Serb government in 1990. As a reporter he covered a wide range of issues from every day life. In the late ‘80s, focusing mainly on political issues, he served as a correspondent from the Kosovo parliament.For a brief period associated with the Kosova Fund for the Open Society in Prishtina, Kosovo. One and a half year international fellowship program with the Kettering Foundation, a think-tank which focuses its research around the broad question “What makes democracy works as it should”, based in Dayton, OH, USA. He holds B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Prishtina. Apart from his native Albanian, he is fluent in English, Serbo-Croat/Bosniak, Turkish and has passive knowledge of French. Mr. Hapçiu was involved in several translation projects from English into Albanian, among them Al Gore’s ‘The Earth in Balance’, (co-translator) and John Stuart Mill’s ‘On Liberty’.^[1]

Afërdita Saraçini-Kelmendi, owner of one of the leading television stations in Kosovo, RTV21, Blerim Shala, former journalist and publisher/owner of one of the leading dailies in Kosovo – Zeri, current vice-chairman of the political party Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (Aleanca për Ardhmërinë e Kosovës – AAK), Daut Dauti, publicist, Akan Ismaili, former CEO of IPKO, leading internet/mobile provider in Kosovo, current Kosovo Ambassador the United States.

Projects

The Albanian-Serb Information Exchange Forum

In January 2005, two leading news agencies, one in Pristina – KosovaLive and one in Belgrade – Beta, together with Centre for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe (CDRSEE) based in Thessalonica, embarked on a one-year project “The Albanian-Serb Information Exchange Forum). The goal was to create an independent, accurate, balanced and impartial trilingual (Albanian, Serbian, English) website which offered bias free news and opinion on Kosovo and all related problems. The “Forum” was a place where we established a culture of dialogue at the time it was missing in real life, bringing together politicians, publicists and experts from both sides in this unique online public space. The project also provided in-depth research on the attitudes among the population at large on how the ordinary man on the street – Albanian and Serb – see “the other”.^[2]

NED-KosovaLive Subscription Subsidies project

For a decade now, KosovaLive, with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy, has been implementing a project through which it provides its daily news service in Albanian and Serbian/Bosnian to two dozen of most relevant local broadcasters throughout Kosovo. The current list of recipients is composed 20 local radio stations, most of them Albanian, but also multilingual and in the languages of minorities, as well as four members of the Mreza network, consisting of Serb language local television stations.^[3]

Miami University Study Abroad Program

KosovaLive continues its unique partnership with a US based university. The study abroad program with the Journalism Department of the Miami University (Oxford, OH), which was launched in 2008, had its sixth edition in two summer months of 2013. The ongoing program has been envisioned as an opportunity to develop the understanding and abilities at enterprising and in-depth journalism, through combining classroom learning with an internship at the free and independent news service. During their 8-week stay in Kosovo ( June through August), a group of ten students attend classes at the premises of KosovaLive under the tutelage of two Miami University and University of Dayton lecturers and an assistant. Most of the students will then, in the afternoon hours, continue with their internship at KosovaLive newsroom, under the direction of their professors and news agency staff, in producing stories for the service, while some of them, per their focus of study and interest, are placed for internship in local non-governmental organizations.^[4]

Europe Integration Information Hub

During 2006-2007 KosovaLive ran an internet based news resource called Europe Integration Information Hub, in two Albanian and English. The objective of the project was to foster European integration while strengthening the visibility of the European Union integration activities in general, and in Kosovo, in particular. The overarching and long-term objective of this project is to broaden and strengthen the visibility of European Union actions related to the EU integration by raising awareness among media and journalists as well as the society.

Note-worthy staff

References