Tirana, 6 June 2014 - Is the Albanian law on access to information useful in the daily work of Albanian journalists? Is its implementation a pending issue? Should journalists play a greater role in implementing the law and in encouraging the rest of society to use this right? To advance debate on these issues, a Legal Leaks training seminar was organized by UNESCO in cooperation with Access Info Europe, the SEENPM and the Albanian Media Institute. Around 30 participants joined that event, which took place in Tirana on 4 and 5 June 2014. "The Albanian access to information law has

Prishtina, 4 June 2014 - How is taxpayers’ money being spent in a city? What are the plans for constructing a public hospital or a new school? Who received public contracts for building a new road or public infrastructure? Answers to those questions can be as interesting for readers, listeners and viewers as any story about political intrigue or international affairs. By using access to information laws, journalists can lead to strong everyday stories of high public interest. To help media professionals get information held by public bodies for their stories, a Legal Leaks training seminar was organized by UNESCO

Madrid, 24 July 2014 – As part of the Legal Leaks trainings which has taken place during the month of June in five different countries in the Balkans – Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia -, Access Info Europe and UNESCO, in partnership with the EU Commission, has organised a challenge for journalists taking part in these courses. What is the challenge about? Journalists shall write a story based on one or more access to information requests they have previously made. The article will have to be written in English, and will be a maximum of 2000 words

Madrid, 2 June 2014 – UNESCO and Access Info Europe will be carrying out a series of Legal Leaks trainings during the following month of June in five different Balkans countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo. The Legal Leaks trainings are meant to empower journalists to use their national freedom of information laws as a regular part of their work. The training provides guidance on how to file freedom of information requests and contributes to protect media freedom by delivering techniques by which journalists can protect the security of their data and of confidential sources of