Media Mapping and Dealing with the Past

Kosovo and North Macedonia have a shared post-conflict history characterized by ethnic violence and human rights abuses. In this context, media outlets and journalists play a crucial role in dealing with the past: independent and pluralistic media are key in providing a critical perspective on collective memory topics and in promoting truth, understanding, justice, peace-building and reconciliation between communities.

While Kosovo and North Macedonia present specific issues and dynamics that define their media landscape, they face similar challenges with regards to reporting about the past. This research, which is part of project “Media Mapping in Kosovo and North Macedonia” implemented by the Association of Kosovo Journalists (AGK) and the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AGM) with the support of forumZFD, provides an overview of the status-quo of the media landscape in Kosovo and North Macedonia focusing on conflict sensitive journalism patterns. It also provides a set of recommendations addressed to domestic media outlets and journalists to enhance fact-based and multi-perspective approaches to reporting on dealing with the past based on accuracy and balance, sensitivity, integrity and independence.