Balkan Investigative Reporting Network: citizen reporting tool for impactful journalism in the Western Balkans
The Engaged Citizens Reporting tool is designed to help journalists connect and gather information directly from citizens.
A BIRN ECR training for public broadcasters in the Balkans in Podgorica, Montenegro, June 2025 (Photo: BIRN)
Developed by BIRN with local technologists, the ECR invites journalists to identify specific communities and invite tips and testimonies through an anonymous, end-to-end encrypted platform. At its core, it reimagines journalism as a two-way civic infrastructure — not just content production, but community connection.
The problem to solve
Across the Western Balkans and Central Europe, trust in institutions is low and media ecosystems are fragile, while the dominant social media platforms prioritize clicks, data extraction and monetisation, not safety or public interest reporting. For sensitive topics like domestic violence, corruption, abuse, scams, or institutional failure, citizens often lack a secure and trustworthy way to share evidence.
At the same time, many local newsrooms lack both the technical infrastructure and editorial training to meaningfully engage their communities. BIRN created ECR to rebuild that connection: safe reporting channels, structured engagement, and a shift from audience metrics to democratic accountability.
What they did
Developed an independent, encrypted citizen reporting platform outside Big Tech ecosystems
Enabled anonymous submission of testimonies, documents, photos, videos and receipts
Designed conditional logic questionnaires tailored to specific communities and investigations
Trained local journalists in engagement journalism, distribution strategies and results analysis
Provided dedicated tool instances to grantee media outlets across the Balkans and beyond
Mentored newsrooms through six-month engagement-driven investigative reporting cycles
Examples of impact resulting from the Engaged Citizens Reporting tool (Image: BIRN)
Key success factors
Security-first architecture including end-to-end encryption, no personal data collection, and independent hosting build trust with vulnerable contributors.
Community-centred design means call-outs are crafted for where communities actually gather, both online and offline, including in-person outreach when necessary.
Editorial integration embeds technical tools into investigative workflows and fact-checking processes.
A capacity building model pairs access to the tool with structured training and mentorship from BIRN.
Grant-backed sustainability leverages EU and international funding to keep the tool accessible rather than charging struggling local outlets.
Impact is measured not by number of responses, but by evidentiary value and investigative breakthroughs.
The ask
“From the technical side, I would like to make the analysis better. Sometimes only one voice can change the course of investigation, but journalists can receive hundreds of responses and sometimes they don’t know where to start. We are looking into ways to design AI-supported features that can help identify patterns, highlight key themes, and surface potential story angles — but always with data protection standards in mind.”
— Karla Junicic, ECR Programme Coordinator, BIRN Hub
Recommendations for strong digital communities
Build secure infrastructure
Protect contributors through encryption and anonymity.
Design for communities
Meet people where they already gather.
Prioritise editorial integrity
Separate journalism from platform monetisation logic.
Invest in mentorship
Pair tools with training and long-term guidance.
Measure meaningful impact
Track institutional change, not just clicks.
Enable collaborative reporting
Use cross-border partnerships to scale investigations.
Support sustainable funding
Fund infrastructure, not just individual stories.