AJM and UNDP: Awards for Best Stories on Air Pollution
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with financial support from Sweden, today presented the awards for the best journalistic stories of 2025 on the theme: “Tackling Air Pollution – Raising Public Awareness of the Challenges and Possible Solutions.”
The first prize was awarded to Mihail Milosevski for the story “Five More Cities Learn What Is Polluting Their Air – What Will Mayors Do?”, published on 360 Stepeni.
This is a comprehensive video story featuring relevant interlocutors from institutions, local authorities, experts, civil society organizations, and citizens. The investigation involved year-long sampling and measurements, identifying concrete sources of pollution in several cities across the country. According to the jury, the story was produced in line with the highest professional standards and provides a clear insight into the problem, as well as possible directions for addressing it.
The second prize went to Bojan Blazevski from Prizma for the story “Authorities to Blame for Neglecting North Macedonia’s Phosphogypsum Landfill.”
The jury assessed that this investigative piece offers an in depth analysis, rich documentation, and strong visualizations, contributing to a more informed public debate and greater institutional accountability.
The third prize was awarded to Vladimir Kalinski of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for the story “Every Breath Hurts,” which presents the human dimension of air pollution and its impact on citizens’ health through a personal narrative. The jury noted that the piece is powerful and professionally crafted, bringing the topic closer to the public through an emotional yet evidence-based approach.
In addition, a Special Recognition was awarded to Orce Kostov of Fokus for the story “No Measure Is Working – Skopje Residents Breathe the Most Toxic Air in Europe,” as encouragement for further work on environmental issues and investigative journalism.
Representatives of the organizers and supporters addressed the audience during the event.
The President of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, Mladen Chadikovski, highlights the role of journalists in raising public awareness and the power of the media to foster institutional accountability and social change. “Through analysis and dedicated work, journalists can humanize the consequences of pollution and show how it affects families, children, and vulnerable groups. When a story has a human face, it becomes a call to action,” Chadikovski said.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, Ola Sulström, highlighted the importance of supporting free and professional journalism as a key pillar of democratic processes and sustainable environmental protection policies.
The UNDP Resident Representative in the country, Armen Grigoryan, emphasized the role of the media in informing the public and promoting data and evidence-based solutions. He noted that the call and awards encourage broader and more consistent media coverage of air pollution at local and national levels, so that the public can be better informed.
A total of 20 journalistic stories were submitted to the public call, and the jury consisted of journalists Sonja Petrushevska, Edin Rastoder, and Goran Momirovski.
The project “Tackling Air Pollution” is part of the UNDP Programme Framework funded by Sweden. The project is implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, as well as the municipalities of Kavadarci, Kumanovo, Gostivar, Struga, and Strumica. Within the framework of the programme, the project “Building Municipal Capacities for Project Implementation” is also being implemented.
