In today’s world, the internet is indispensable, particularly social media and online media platforms. These tools have become integral to our lives, enabling people to connect, communicate and share experiences globally.

Imagine if the explanation above had been written in a completely negative spirit. This is what the “global village,” as theorist Marshall McLuhan termed it, was like during the Covid-19 pandemic. At this time all of us were faced with the news of countless deaths and new cases of infections when the pandemic hit the world. This period left a lasting impact on almost everyone’s lives and memories.

In post-first wave pandemic Kosovo, everything we read in the last printed newspapers and online media platforms were just numbers that we had to believe, as we had no other way to verify them. However, behind each number was a personal story. For those affected, these were not just statistics but lived experiences.

These experiences and confessions, filled with frustration from relatives and society, led to a psychological and emotional outburst. This took the form of Mitropol, a Facebook page founded on a laptop on a long wooden table in one of Mitrovica’s bars.

Time for change 

Mitropol, which would soon have its own website, emerged from years of experience in journalism and social activism in Mitrovica’s civil society organizations. It stemmed from the belief that the time for change had come.

The goal was for this media platform, founded by two enthusiastic young people committed to professional journalism — me and Haris, who also worked in another national media outlet — not just to be another platform but to become the new address for complaints about injustice. These issues include poorly maintained roads, lack of lighting in the suburbs and unfair hiring practices. We wanted to create somewhere where unheard issues, lacking a reliable local voice, could be addressed through reporting and offer solutions.

We started working faster and with heightened enthusiasm. We started writing about the issues concerning the citizens of Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Skënderaj and beyond. Every day we started to receive more reports both from engaged members of the public and from our social circle, all eager to voice their concerns.

[Blockquote] But, our drive was great — we were guided by the desire to become a factor in improving public life both at the local and national level.

None of this was easy. We gave our platform the most valuable resource we had — time. There were times when I worked 12 hours and my friend Haris five or six hours. We were always working. We did all of this voluntarily, since it was quite difficult to imagine any financial rewards at the beginning.

But, our drive was great. We were guided by the desire to become a factor in improving public life both at the local and national level.

That wasn’t the only reason, of course. We were civil society activists, but activism started not to be enough for us to push forward the necessary changes through public pressure on institutions. This is best done by functioning as a media outlet.

From the outset, we anticipated the challenges that lay ahead on our journey. Even when we faced challenges, we overcame them with humor. Political attempts to influence the platform began early, even within the first two weeks. However, we quickly overcame this initial challenge and continued to report impartially, free from any external influence or patronage.

There were days when we faced online threats and had to talk to those who did not like us when their interests were affected. But before involving the police, we tried to resolve issues directly with the people involved. Sometimes we ended up having an afternoon coffee with those who the day before had wanted to see us shut down.

During the years that we grew, after my friend Haris left due to other professional commitments, Besnik joined the Mitropol team. This was a period marked by significant security challenges as we were working in difficult areas such as south and north Mitrovica. We attended protests and barricades, but every challenge that we faced was no longer new, they were something that raised our adrenaline. Being present at the events as everything unfolded, our only goal was to inform our public accurately, without inciting panic or exaggerating the situation.

There were difficult days when I thought about giving up, but looking back at how far I had come motivated me to keep going without slowing down. Today, when I think about it, there are a number of products on the platform that I feel very proud of and I wouldn’t have achieved had I stopped along the way. In the beginning, we tried to also make Mitropol a cultural platform that would take the citizens of Mitrovica and beyond on a retrospective through old photos and videos that we published from time to time. This was a way to inspire and raise awareness during a time heavily burdened by the negative news surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

This approach quickly proved effective and showed results in less than a year. It led to a series of reports that Mitropol produced in cooperation with a production company, which were published on Facebook without any economic interest. This was during a time when monetization was a term almost exclusively reserved for content published on YouTube. These videos captured the essence and the inspiration for why it all began.

While walking through town, where coffee shops had finally reopened, I met people wearing masks who told me how much they enjoyed our stories. These encounters served as a reminder that despite the challenging experiences we shared, there are still many beautiful stories waiting to be told.

Tell us so we can amplify your voices 

“There were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.” These words, attributed to Edmund Burke by Thomas Carlyle, beautifully describe the media’s role. 

Based on this logic, we were looking for the stories of those whose voices were unheard. Our work, which started as inspiration for a better society, would contribute to a new, fairer and more beautiful structure for us and society. This voice of ours represents the fourth group described by Burke, located in the gallery beyond from the three groups of parliament. It is the most important group of all. We started with the simple idea of ​​being professional and unbiased, as well as accurate and timely.

We believe that, in addition to the usual news such as negative news and complicated political developments, the public should be fed accurate and positive news that help improve mental and emotional well-being and contribute to the overall health of society.

This, which was born after a long period of commitment, aims to inspire every young person in Kosovo to apply their skills in different fields for the benefit of their society. It encourages them to persevere through any obstacles, big or small, with determination and a positive attitude to the work they do.

Feature Image: Mitropol.