SEENPM Holds General Assembly in Tirana

Representatives of fourteen member organisations of SEENPM met on 30 October in Tirana for an annual meeting of the General Assembly. As the highest decision-making body in the network's governing structure, the GA reviewed SEENPM's activities in the previous year, including the implementation of the network's 2014-6 strategic plan and finances.

Corina Cepoi, the outgoing president of the SEENPM Board, highlighted a number of projects that the network implemented in 2014, including SEE Media Observatory, EU Investigative Journalism Awards in Western Balkan and Turkey, Partnership for Media Development and Reporting Neighbours in Balkan Media as well as initiatives on hate speech and digital regulation and efforts to determine and address capacity building needs of SEENPM members.

Tihomir Loza, executive director, provided updates on the current activities of the SEENPM Secretariat, including fundraising and plans to improve the network's internal and external communication.

The General Assembly also voted to elect three new members to the five-member SEENPM Board. Mladen Velojić of Media & Reform Center, Serbia; Barış Altıntaş of Platform 24, Turkey; and Ljiljana Žugić of the Montenegro Media Institute replaced three members whose terms had expired: Corina Cepoi of IJC Moldova, Ilona Moricz of the Centre for Independent Journalism, Hungary; and Ioana Avadani of the Centre for Independent Journalism, Romania.

he new board held its first session after the GA meeting, electing Ines Bamburać, executive director of Mediacentar Sarajevo, as its president. "I am looking forward to working closely with the network's governing bodies and executive director to enable SEENPM to continue playing a key role in advancing media freedoms and professionalism at a time when the media sector throughout the region faces a number of tough challenges," said Ines Bamburać.