Journalists Present Inspiring “We Can Do Better” Stories Driving Trust and Social Cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The final event of the “Media for Peace” workshop series was held yesterday in Sarajevo, where journalists from across Bosnia and Herzegovina presented their stories developed within the EU-funded initiative “Možemo bolje” (We Can Do Better), jointly implemented by the European Union, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.
The featured stories are the result of earlier workshops attended by fifteen journalists from Zvornik, Doboj, Stolac, Gradiška, Zavidovići, Travnik, Gornji Vakuf, Srebrenica/Bratunac, Milići, Ilijaš, Banja Luka, and Sarajevo. The workshops were led by social justice expert Vesna Bajšanski-Agić, experienced editor and journalist Nedim Dervišbegović, and Director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Džidić, with the aim of empowering journalists to identify and shape stories within their local communities that build trust, cooperation, and social cohesion.
The stories highlight just a few of the many inspiring examples of individuals, groups, and peace initiatives that contribute daily to strengthening trust and peace across the country. In a year marking 30 years of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this approach underscores the crucial role of local media—who, as the first at the source of these stories, not only have the capacity to shape and share positive narratives with the wider public, but also to serve as powerful drivers of change within their communities, demonstrating peace-oriented and constructive journalism in practice.
“Conversations about systems and methods for deconstructing stereotypes and prejudices, and training on the role of journalism in transitional justice, help journalists in their daily work. Not only in ensuring that self-awareness and responsibility hold an important place in the media landscape in BiH, but also in making them key factors and criteria when choosing topics, phenomena, and events that must be reported on accurately, precisely, and credibly,” said Ljupko Mišejić, journalist at Buka magazine and participant of the workshops.
During the panel discussion featuring Semir Mujkić, Editor of BIRN BiH, Mersiha Drinjaković, Editor of Gracija magazine, and Radenko Udovičić, Editor of the Peacebuilding Network, participants discussed the role of the media in strengthening trust and social cohesion, emphasizing that a responsible approach to stories and sources is what separates sensationalism from genuine journalism.
“All the stories we heard contain the essential elements – empathy, solidarity, honesty. Young people understand this. When reporting, it is important to follow your instinct – if you see that something is not right, it probably isn’t. In conversations with victims, we must be particularly cautious not to trigger new trauma. Sometimes, even with the best intentions, things can go wrong, which is why it is important to know when to step away from a story, no matter how good it may be,” said Semir Mujkić, BIRN BiH Editor.
The panelists spoke about the current media landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the challenges of reporting on peace and trust, and the role of editors in creating space for engaged, constructive, and inspiring content.
“There are moments in journalism when every day brings a new challenge, but it is precisely in those bright moments – when the real impact of your work becomes visible and when the community recognizes the importance of local media in shaping positive narratives – that journalism finds its full purpose,” said Mersiha Drinjaković, Editor of Gracija magazine.
During the interactive part of the event, participants discussed with the audience examples of good practices and local initiatives that succeeded in sparking solidarity and positive change in their communities, and shared recommendations on how local media, even with limited resources, can have a meaningful social impact through engaged, empathetic, and responsible reporting.
The stories created within the project will be published in the coming period by the media outlets that participated in this initiative, making them available to the wider public.