From News Desk

The Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM) held its annual media awards ceremony at the EU House in Skopje, within the UNESCO project ‘Building Trust in Media in South-East Europe: Support to Journalism as a Public Good’, funded by the European Union.

As climate change increasingly shapes people’s lives, journalists in North Macedonia are stepping up to expose environmental risks, institutional gaps and the growing spread of disinformation They show that these undermine health, livelihoods and access to reliable information.

Held in the context of World Press Freedom Day, the ceremony acknowledged the best journalistic works submitted to the competition ‘Facts and Disinformation on Climate Change’. The event celebrated courageous, ethical journalism that serves the public interest and counters manipulation and misinformation.

“We will continue encouraging journalists to work courageously and with dedication, and to remain focused on this topic, so that there are more such reports in the regular content of the media, ” said Biljana Georgievska, Executive Director, Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia.

“The topic of the competition is crucial for our future, especially at a time when disinformation spreads extremely quickly, and when our duty as journalists is to conduct thorough research and firmly defend the facts related to climate change. This recognition is a strong motivation for us to continue reporting uncompromisingly on truth and conveying to the public real problems and threats,” said the First prize-winner Mihail Milosheski, Journalist, 360 Stepeni.

Opening the ceremony, Stefan Hudolin, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia, emphasised the urgency of accurate reporting in the face of climate challenges. “Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and environmental degradation are already shaping our daily lives and our future,” Hudolin said. “Disinformation is dangerous. It undermines the collective will to address the global crisis and delays necessary action. Journalists have a critical role to play in ensuring that citizens have access to accurate, reliable information,” added Hudolin.

The broader importance of professional journalism in defending democratic discourse was underscored by Joshua Massarenti, Regional Project Coordinator at the UNESCO Antenna in Sarajevo. “Ethical and professional journalism helps societies distinguish facts from disinformation, and fear from evidence-based public debate. By recognising these journalistic works, CMEM contributes to strengthening media accountability, public trust, and access to reliable information in North Macedonia,” Massarenti concluded.