SCOOP wins third prize “Nikola Mladenov” for investigative journalism

The team of investigative journalists of BIRN Macedonia won the first prize in the annual competition of MIM for journalism award “Nikola Mladenov” for best investigative story. The winning story on “Skopje 2014 under scrutiny” was awarded for the series of articles and interactive on-line database that disclose public spending for the controversial project “Skopje 2014”. Journalist Biljana Nikolovska won the second prize for the documentary “When the health...

The mystery of one building: in the center of Skopje, but “invisible” to the institutions

Centar Municipality has no records of the Telecom building, a striking eight-store building in the center of Skopje. Built next to the Stone Bridge and located on Macedonia square, this building is shrouded in mystery. Apart from the parties, no one knows how much the land was purchased for, how much tax has been paid for this building and what utility fees have been paid for it. Minister of...

SCOOP research: MPs – one discussion 400 Euros

  DOCUMENTATION1 DOCUMENTATION2 Sashko’s phone alarm from Kocani rings at 5:10 am sharp, when he wakes up to get ready for another day at work. He is a worker in one of the foreign investments in Eastern Macedonia, where the day should bring a daily fee of 500 denars. “I earn 12,000 denars salary. I work 25 days a month, it means every Saturday. One week first shift, the...

Ministerial salaries: half a million Euros only for salaries

  DOCUMENTATION One hundred thirty-three thousand denars or more than 2,000 Euros is the salary that former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has left the PM’s chair with on Ilindenska bb St. Although this is not the highest amount compared to other offices in the state, and it does not make it exclusive, but it is unique that only in our country it is a real feat to get to...

Pre-election employments: More than 1,000 new utility employees in just two years

DOCUMENTATION Obsolete equipment, reduced efficiency and disgruntled citizens. This is the image of utilities, where it seems that nothing changes except the number of employees. The research of the Center for Investigative Journalism SCOOP Macedonia showed evidence that the number of utility employees increases for every election. In 2005 there were 6,034 utility employees, in 2008 and 2009 on the eve of local elections further 1,000 people were employed....

7.4 million Euro spent for travel expenses: MP Naumovski charged as if travelling by car from Australia to Macedonia

Vasko Naumovski, MP in the Macedonian Parliament for the constituency Asia and Australia, is almost unknown to the domestic public. He rarely appears for presentation, a reply or to raise a parliamentary question. But if judged by the amounts he charged for travelling across the country, he is obviously more active out in the field than in the parliamentary seat. Center for Investigative Journalism SCOOP-Macedonia, using the Law on...

Press Start: Crowdfunding stories that matter

Do you live in a country where the media are not beholden to political or business interests? Where journalists are free to write they want, without fear of fines, beatings, imprisonment, or worse? If so, consider yourself one of a privileged few – a mere 14 percent of the world’s population, according to Freedom House. Today, the vast majority – more than six billion people – live in countries...