On Friday, March 13, 2020, Kosovo became one of the last countries in Europe to record its first coronavirus cases. It was a development waiting to happen as two days earlier, the World Health Organization had already declared COVID-19 a pandemic, those travelling the continent were on their way home, and numbers in neighboring countries were rising by the day. 

It was just earlier that day on Friday that at K2.0 we had intensified our discussions around what type of fieldwork we could be conducting or even the extent to which our physical presence in the field at all might endanger someone else’s well-being; by early evening, the first two cases were confirmed. Having witnessed how failure to respond more firmly at the outset of the outbreak by better enforcing social distancing or self-quarantine has crippled the health systems of countries that are considered more advanced, the decision became clear. 

The whole K2.0 team will be working almost exclusively online, as per recommended measures, until containment has achieved its aims, and we assess that we no longer pose undue risk to others.

As we embark on conducting largely physically ‘field-free’ journalism, we are aware of the myriad challenges and obstacles this will present to our work. 

It is at times like these, when workers’ rights might be most violated; when different forms of violence — be it gender, domestic or child based — might also be on the rise; when those already belonging to marginalized, excluded or discriminated groups will continue to lack basic, essential resources; or when various governmental and institutional policies or decisions require more fieldwork in order to better understand how they impact people’s lives directly. 

These are the types of stories and experiences that stand at the core of how K2.0 defines its responsibility and obligation as a magazine — to expose and highlight injustices, draw attention to inequities or even encourage active citizenship, all while continuously seeking to offer the grounded, contextualized and accurate information citizens need to make informed decisions.

We will continue to remain committed to such principles, as we strive to find the most suitable ways to conduct our work — that is, all while assessing what safety and precautionary measures need to be taken, depending on developments, to not put ourselves or others in jeopardy. 

In this line, we will continue to provide summaries of the latest developments surrounding COVID-19; identifying and reporting the various fallouts, implications and impacts stemming from government measures of stopping much, if not all, of public life; as well as tackling the different ways the situation is affecting different individuals and groups.

But, we will also continue to report and cover other issues that continue to be relevant and pertinent to our current times — be it political developments, environmental protection, social analysis and commentary, arts and culture, or just content that we hope will help to get your minds off the daily news cycle, which can become particularly overwhelming at times like these.   

As we all enter this fresh terrain and adjust to our new temporary realities, there is plenty we can all do for one another. At K2.0, we invite you to become an even bigger part of our production — whether by sharing blogs, videos, stories and experiences of how COVID-19 has been affecting you personally, professionally or economically; or by giving us feedback on the types of stories you would like to read, listen to or watch. We would like to hear the issues of interest, concern or entertainment for you.

Despite our physical restraints, this can also serve as a moment when we all connect even more closely to one another and unleash our inner creativity; so do that with K2.0 by writing to us across our different channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or email at [email protected]  

We will continue to offer our utmost professional commitment and determination to keep serving the public interest, while hoping to define that together with you, our readers, now more than ever.K

Feature image: Majlinda Hoxha / K2.0.