Jovo Martinović, from Montenegro, is the 2018 winner of the Peter Mackler Award

Lukpan Akhmedyarov, 2012 PMA recipient, was clubbed, stabbed and shot for his reports on corruption. © Lukpan Akhmedyarov

Ilya Barabanov, 2010 PMA recipient, at work in an undated photo. © Ilya Barabonov

Karla Rivas (second from left) covers a community meeting. © Karla Rivas

Ilya Barabanov is led away by police during the riots that followed the Pussy Riot verdict on August 17, 2012 in Moscow. © Ilya Barabanov

About The Peter Mackler Award

The Peter Mackler Award honors reporters and editors who have demonstrated a commitment to fairness, accuracy and speaking truth to power, and a matching commitment to asserting the right to publish or air that story in countries where independent media is under threat.

Recipients

2018 Jovo Martinović Podgorica, Montenegro

2017 Marcos Vizcarra Culiacán, Mexico

2016 Eloge Willy Kaneza Bujumbura, Burundi

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2018 Recipient: Jovo Martinović

Jovo Martinović, the winner of the 2018 Peter Mackler award, is a veteran freelance investigative journalist in Montenegro. Known for his extensive reporting on organized crime in Europe and war criminals in the Balkans, he has worked for such international outlets as NPR, BBC, The Financial Times, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and many others.

On January 15, 2019, Martinović was found guilty on charges of participation in a criminal organization. The charges were filed in the wake of Martinović’s investigations into drug trafficking, weapons smuggling and other criminal activity.

Jovo Martinović was honored on September 27th at the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. A panel of reporters discussed his work, the state of press freedom in the Balkans and trends in global investigative journalism. Martinović, not allowed to leave the country by the courts, joined in via Skype.

On the panel moderated by Marija Šajkaš was Tanya Domi, adjunct assistant professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University; Alen Mlatišuma, internet managing editor for Voice of America’s Eurasia division and Michael Montgomery, senior producer and reporter at Reveal.

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