Krenar Gashi
Encyclopedia
Krenar Gashi is an award-winning researcher, investigative journalist
, policy analyst and publicist from Kosovo
, currently working at the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED).
A long-term investigative reporter, Gashi worked for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), where he served as editor for BIRN’s online publication Balkan Insight
and interviewer for BIRN's televised show "Jeta ne Kosove" (Life in Kosovo) He is the founder of Kosovo's only English-language newspaper Prishtina Insight.
He has been working for various media outlets since 2000, including TV 21, Kohavision
and most recently Radio Television of Kosovo
(RTK), setting up the public television station's website.
Gashi studied sociology at the University of Pristina and now is an MA candidate in Media and Communications at KIJAC, an international institute based in Kosovo. He has completed investigative and web journalism training at several institutions, including the International Journalism Summer School in London and the Online Journalism course at the Berlin-based Centre for investigative journalism
.
In 2006 Gashi led a BIRN an undercover investigation into illegal activities of passport smugglers in Kosovo and the network of passport scams which describe the current identification documents situation in Kosovo. In the investigation Gashi examined the market that the racketeers have set up, posing as mediators between ordinary people and complex government institutions in the region.
The investigation on Kosovan passports was republished by Korieri Newspaper in Albania, Focus Agency in Bulgaria, Epoka e Re
, Gazeta Express
, Koha Ditore
and Kosova Sot
in Kosovo, PCNEN in Montenegro, Hotnews, Euractiv and România Liberă
in Romania, B92
, Beta, Tanjug
, The Belgrade Times and Danas
in Serbia.
In 2007 BIRN published Gashi's investigation that revealed the booming illegal weapons’ market in Kosovo. The major findings of the report were that there is a growing market of illegal trade of weapons in Kosovo and that this market is being stimulated by lax laws of the international administration.
The report also reveals that there are many gas-guns entering Kosovo where they are modified and turned to real lethal guns. Article contains information gathered from official sources, administration, police and government, combined with the findings from the field.
Following this widely-republished investigative report, the UN administration in Kosovo, UNMIK, initiated changes in legislation about weapon possession and also altered the licensing procedures.
His latest investigative work, include reports that look into several separate groups of ethnic Albanian fighters operating in Kosovo and corrupted officials within the Government of Kosovo
. Apart from these reports, Gashi has covered intensively all ongoing events in Kosovo through numerous analytical articles.
In the days leading up to the 17 February 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
, Gashi served as Kosovo stringer for many media, including The New York Times
, BBC
and ORF
. He was Kosovo correspondent for London's Financial Times
, where he still writes occasionally. His investigative reports for BIRN's Balkan Insight have been republished elsewhere in the media and have made the front pages of newspapers in the region.
In May 2009, Gashi joined KIPRED to serve as Research Director of Kosovo's leading think tank.
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
, policy analyst and publicist from Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, currently working at the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED).
A long-term investigative reporter, Gashi worked for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), where he served as editor for BIRN’s online publication Balkan Insight
Balkan Insight
Balkan Insight is a publication of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network , that focusses on news, analysis, commentary and investigative reporting from southeast Europe...
and interviewer for BIRN's televised show "Jeta ne Kosove" (Life in Kosovo) He is the founder of Kosovo's only English-language newspaper Prishtina Insight.
He has been working for various media outlets since 2000, including TV 21, Kohavision
Kohavision
Kohavision is a Kosovar television broadcaster, and part of Koha group. Kohavision began broadcasting in September 2000, shortly after the Kosovo War ended...
and most recently Radio Television of Kosovo
Radio Television of Kosovo
Radio Television of Kosovo is the public service broadcaster in Kosovo.It consists of the television service, broadcast on the terrestrial transmitter network and digital satellite , and two radio stations, Radio Kosovo and Radio Blue Sky...
(RTK), setting up the public television station's website.
Gashi studied sociology at the University of Pristina and now is an MA candidate in Media and Communications at KIJAC, an international institute based in Kosovo. He has completed investigative and web journalism training at several institutions, including the International Journalism Summer School in London and the Online Journalism course at the Berlin-based Centre for investigative journalism
Centre for investigative journalism
The Centre for Investigative Journalism is a non-profit organisation providing training to journalists, researchers, producers and students in the practice and methodology of investigative journalism...
.
Career
Krenar Gashi's investigative work has stretched from investigating fake personal documents in Kosovo, weapons smuggling, to investigations on war crimes and groups of ethnic Albanian fighters operating in Kosovo.In 2006 Gashi led a BIRN an undercover investigation into illegal activities of passport smugglers in Kosovo and the network of passport scams which describe the current identification documents situation in Kosovo. In the investigation Gashi examined the market that the racketeers have set up, posing as mediators between ordinary people and complex government institutions in the region.
The investigation on Kosovan passports was republished by Korieri Newspaper in Albania, Focus Agency in Bulgaria, Epoka e Re
Epoka e Re
Epoka e Re is a Kosovar daily newspaper published in Albanian language in Kosovo's capital Pristina. It is speculated that Epoka e Re is connected to Kosovo's largest political party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo ; however the newspaper is often critical of PDK, too....
, Gazeta Express
Gazeta Express
Gazeta Express, is a Kosovo newspaper published in Pristina by MediaWorks, a new media company founded in 2005 by a group of senior editors and journalists with financing from IPKO, Kosovo's leading private telecommunications company...
, Koha Ditore
Koha Ditore
Koha Ditore is the leading daily newspaper from Kosovo. It is published by Koha Group and was founded and owned by politician Veton Surroi. His sister Flaka Surroi is now the publisher, following Veton Surroi's launch of his political career within the ORA reformist party...
and Kosova Sot
Kosova Sot
Kosova Sot is a newspaper published in Kosovo. In the Albanian language, 'Kosova Sot' means "Kosovo Today"....
in Kosovo, PCNEN in Montenegro, Hotnews, Euractiv and România Liberă
România Libera
România Liberă is one of the leading newspapers in Romania. Based in Bucharest, the Romanian-language daily has a paid daily circulation of 40,000....
in Romania, B92
B92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
, Beta, Tanjug
Tanjug
Tanjug was founded on November 5, 1943. It is now a Serbian news agency based in Belgrade....
, The Belgrade Times and Danas
Danas
Danas, Serbian for today is a daily newspaper published in Serbia.Danas was established in mid-1997 after a group of discontented journalists from the Naša borba newspaper walked out after getting into a conflict with the paper's new private majority owner...
in Serbia.
In 2007 BIRN published Gashi's investigation that revealed the booming illegal weapons’ market in Kosovo. The major findings of the report were that there is a growing market of illegal trade of weapons in Kosovo and that this market is being stimulated by lax laws of the international administration.
The report also reveals that there are many gas-guns entering Kosovo where they are modified and turned to real lethal guns. Article contains information gathered from official sources, administration, police and government, combined with the findings from the field.
Following this widely-republished investigative report, the UN administration in Kosovo, UNMIK, initiated changes in legislation about weapon possession and also altered the licensing procedures.
His latest investigative work, include reports that look into several separate groups of ethnic Albanian fighters operating in Kosovo and corrupted officials within the Government of Kosovo
Government of Kosovo
The Cabinet of Kosovo is the collection of Kosovo institutions that exercises executive authority in Kosovo. It is headed by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, and also includes the deputy prime ministers as well as various ministers.The Prime Minister is elected by the Assembly of the Republic...
. Apart from these reports, Gashi has covered intensively all ongoing events in Kosovo through numerous analytical articles.
In the days leading up to the 17 February 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
, Gashi served as Kosovo stringer for many media, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and ORF
ORF
ORF may refer to:* ORF , the Austrian public service broadcaster.* Open reading frame, a portion of the genome.* The IATA airport code for Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia.* ORF format , Olympus raw image file format....
. He was Kosovo correspondent for London's Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, where he still writes occasionally. His investigative reports for BIRN's Balkan Insight have been republished elsewhere in the media and have made the front pages of newspapers in the region.
In May 2009, Gashi joined KIPRED to serve as Research Director of Kosovo's leading think tank.
Awards
- Best Written Story in 2007 - Kosovo's Association of Professional Journalists.
- BIRN's internal award for outstanding quality of reporting, innovative approach and investigative journalism.
Publications
- Circulation and Politicisation of Daily Newspapers in Kosovo, author, OSCE, Pristina, 2009
- History Overshadowed by Trivia – media coverage of Radovan Karadzic arrest, co-author, BIRN, Sarajevo, ISBN 978-9958-9005-1-8
- Power Struggle – meeting global energy challenges in the Balkans, co-editor, BIRN, Sarajevo, ISBN 978–9958–9003–0–3
- Moving On – overcoming Balkan barriers to a European future, co-editor, BIRN, Sarajevo, CAT 070.42:377](4-12)(082)
Investigative Reports
- Kosovo Stunned by Alleged German role in Blast
- Smugglers Find Heaven in Kosovo’s North, BalkanInsight.com
- Political Clients Take Over Civil Service, BalkanInsight.com
- Corruption Grips Kosovo’s Ministry of Justice, BalkanInsight.com
- Kosovo’s Illegal Armed Groups in Shadows, BalkanInsight.com
- Kosovo: A Gunrunners’ Paradise, BalkanInsight.com
- Kaludjerski Laz Massacre Still Haunts Montenegro, BalkanInsight.com
- Romanian Police Blamed for Kosovo Carnage, BalkanInsight.com
- Ex-Policemen Run Kosovo Passport Scam, BalkanInsight.com
Documentary Films
- Obstacles to the other side, BIRN, Kosovo (producer and director)
- Kosovo – Free at last, Current TVCurrent TVCurrent TV, or Current, is a media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt. Comcast owns a ten percent stake of Current's parent company, Current Media LLC....
, USA (researcher)
External links
- http://www.balkaninsight.com/?tpl=321&tpid=220/Off the Record - Krenar Gashi's Blog at Balkan InsightBalkan InsightBalkan Insight is a publication of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network , that focusses on news, analysis, commentary and investigative reporting from southeast Europe...
] - BIRN's Official Website
- KIPRED's Official Website