Jovo Martinović, from Montenegro, is the 2018 winner of the Peter Mackler Award
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.
In 2015, Martinović was arrested then released 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. Released early in 2017, he is still facing trial – and up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
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 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.
The panel was moderated by Marija Šajkaš, journalist and founder of 4 Better Media.
