Shedding light on climate change and disinformation: journalists awarded in Skopje

As climate change increasingly shapes people’s lives, journalists in North Macedonia are stepping up to expose environmental risks, institutional gaps, and the growing spread of disinformation that undermines health, livelihoods, and access to reliable information.

On 30 April 2026, the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM) held its annual media awards ceremony at the EU House in Skopje, within the UNESCO project ‘Building Trust in Media in South-East Europe: Support to Journalism as a Public Good’, funded by the European Union.

Held in the context of World Press Freedom Day, the ceremony acknowledged the best journalistic works submitted to the competition ‘Facts and Disinformation on Climate Change’. The event celebrated courageous, ethical journalism that serves the public interest and counters manipulation and misinformation.

We will continue encouraging journalists to work courageously and with dedication, and to remain focused on this topic, so that there are more such reports in the regular content of the media. - Biljana Georgievska, Executive Director, Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia

The competition attracted 29 stories published in local media from 1 May 2025 to 15 April 2026. The jury included: Irena Mulačka, editor-in-chief of Fokus magazine; Maja Blaževska, journalist and former correspondent for Al Jazeera Balkans; and, Jane Dimoski, environmental activist and advisor in the Municipality of Centar.

The first prize went to Mihail Miloshevski from 360 Stepeni, for his in-depth reporting on how North Macedonia could gradually reduce its dependence on coal, while preserving energy stability. The second prize was awarded to Aleksandar Metodijev and Suzana Miceva from Nota.mk and TV Telma, for their investigation into illegal waste trafficking routes. The third prize was granted to Valentina Vurmo from the Lice v lice magazine for her story examining whether foreign waste is further contributing to pollution in North Macedonia.

The topic of the competition is crucial for our future, especially at a time when disinformation spreads extremely quickly, and when our duty as journalists is to conduct thorough research and firmly defend the facts related to climate change. This recognition is a strong motivation for us to continue reporting uncompromisingly on truth and conveying to the public real problems and threats. - First prize-winner Mihail Milosheski, Journalist, 360 Stepeni

The jury also commended several additional reports. Among them, was a report on rare plant species protected on paper but actually disappearing, by Aleksandar Manasiev from Umno.mk. Fisnik Xhelili from Portalb.mk received praised for his story on how pollution threatens the Black Drin and the weak institutional response. Additionally, Ivan Kuzmanovski from TV Sitel was acknowledged for his report on the environmental and economic challenges affecting the Prespa apple.

Opening the ceremony, Stefan Hudolin, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia, emphasised the urgency of accurate reporting in the face of climate challenges. “Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and environmental degradation are already shaping our daily lives and our futur e,” Hudolin said.

Disinformation is dangerous. It undermines the collective will to address the global crisis and delays necessary action. Journalists have a critical role to play in ensuring that citizens have access to accurate, reliable information. - Stefan Hudolin, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of EU to North Macedonia

The broader importance of professional journalism in defending democratic discourse was underscored by Joshua Massarenti, Regional Project Coordinator at the UNESCO Antenna in Sarajevo. “Ethical and professional journalism helps societies distinguish facts from disinformation, and fear from evidence-based public debate. By recognising these journalistic works, CMEM contributes to strengthening media accountability, public trust, and access to reliable information in North Macedonia,” Massarenti concluded.