ZERI NE EXIL - VOICE IN EXILE

Medium: Journal of news and analysis

Publication: Twice per week

Target Circulation: 10,000

Editor-in-Chief: Blerim Shala

Owners: Blerim Shala and Bardh Hamzaj

Launch date: 15 May 1999

OBJECTIVE

After being forcefully deported from Kosovo, the editors and staff of Zeri will re-create their leading Kosovar newsmagazine to start covering issues of special concern for the Kosovo Albanian community now in exile throughout Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.

The Kosovar Albanians presently scattered in refugee camps and guest homes have scarce access to media outlets organized by their brethren, outlets that disseminate information specifically targeted at the needs of Kosovar refugees. One humanitarian organization operating locally, El Hilal, distributes free-of-charge to refugees copies of the Macedonian Albanian-language daily Fakti; the Pristina daily Koha Ditore has only recently begun to produce and distribute to the refugee community and Diaspora. Kosovar electronic media organizations have yet to resume broadcasts.

Zeri ne Exil will have an important psychological effect of giving the Kosovo Albanian refugees (in Albania and in Macedonia) and displaced persons (in Montenegro) the feeling that their own journalists are working, reporting and informing them about their very particular issues.

OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION

Zeri ne Exil will play a crucial role in generating information for the displaced Kosovar population, as well as for Albanian-speaking communities in Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro, by providing news information and analysis on current political events, both on the local and international stages. Zeri ne Exil will stand alone as the only Albanian-language weekly journal of news and analysis in Macedonia.

Registration

Zeri ne Exil is currently engaged in the process of registering as a legal newspaper/print/distribution enterprise in Macedonia. The registration procedure should be completed by mid-May prior to the expected date of publication of the first issue. Once registration is secured, a Zeri bank account (hard currency) will be opened in Skopje.

Format

The twice-per-week edition will consist of eight pages that include commentaries, analyses, interviews and a series of short, informative articles focusing on refugees issues and the efforts of international community to deal with the crisis in Kosovo. With the majority of Kosovars living in exile, the need for reliable information is very urgent. Therefore, Zeri ne Exil will be slightly different from the magazine's previous format – it will have fewer pages, but shall appear twice per week to better serve the community as a source of news, information and commentary.

Zeri ne Exil will operate with three editions:

1) A local edition, printed and distributed from Macedonia, targeting Kosovar refugee communities;

2) An international edition, printed and distributed from Frankfurt, targeting Albanian Diaspora throughout Europe; and

3) An Internet version of "Zeri in Exile" in Albanian and English, with news and information in digest form accessible online.

Production and Distribution

The local Macedonian edition of Zeri ne Exil will be produced in Skopje, with the final layout transferred in electronic form on computer disk to a local printing house. Zeri staff members are currently identifying the appropriate print operation to fit the needs of this start-up phase. Alternatives for distribution are also being investigated at the present time, including the possibility of distribution to refugee camps by local NGOs (such as El Hilal) and international humanitarian relief organizations (based on discussions with Emma Bonino in Brussels). Zeri staff will also examine possibilities of distribution through the Nova Makedonia state-sponsored kiosk system that operates throughout Macedonia – providing copies of Zeri ne Exil free of charge to refugees presenting appropriate identification cards. Over the next few weeks, distribution mechanisms will also be found to reach target communities in Albania and Montenegro.

Revenue Generation

Prior to 1994, Zeri was financed solely through commercial revenue. As political and economic conditions in Kosovo worsened in 1994, Zeri was forced to seek international donor support to finance 20% of its operating costs – with 80% still covered by advertising and subscription income. Only in 1998 did Zeri seek funding for 30% of its total expenses. However, as a result of forced expulsion from Kosovo, Zeri ne Exil is presently dependent on international donor contributions to re-establish its operation in Macedonia.

The Zeri ne Exil management has every intention of working immediately toward generating revenue that will, in part during this crisis period, contribute to the success of the project. The international edition will be the primary source of commercial income; however, revenue from international sales is expected to arrive in Zeri accounts only 60-90 days after first-issue sales.

 PERSONNEL

Of the ten journalists who worked on Zeri's staff in Pristina before the present crisis, five are in different parts of Macedonia at this time and all are prepared to resume working for Zeri ne Exil.

Zeri ne Exil Staff:

Editor-in-Chief: Blerim Shala

Deputy Editor: Bardh Hamzaj

Journalists: Shkelzen Maliqi, Mujail Limani, Astrit Saliu, Eliza Hoxha, Hazir Reka, Gjeneza Budima, Lulzim Shala,

Foreign Correspondents: New York – Isuf Hajrizi; London – Daut Dauti, Bonn – Islam Spahiu; Brussels – Ekrem Krasniqi; Tirana – Elsa Ballauri

Zeri ne Exil will also include reports from Zeri’s correspondent from Belgrade. This journalist is a Serb and will produce interviews and news articles that will help maintain Zeri’s established reputation for balanced coverage of Kosovo-related events.

TIMELINE

This proposal details the costs of re-constituting the Zeri staff and operations during a six-month period from May to October 1999. The publication date for the first issue of Zeri ne Exil is set for May 15. The Zeri staff plans to re-launch the magazine in a basic form and slowly build back the layout, illustration, increase the number of pages, increase eventually the circulation, over the course of the six-month period.

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