
Oslobodenje
Encyclopedia
Oslobođenje is a popular newspaper
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
based in the capital city Sarajevo
.
Oslobođenje was founded on August 30, 1943 in Donja Trnova
near Ugljevik
, as an anti-Nazi newspaper. During the Bosnian war
and the Siege of Sarajevo
, the Oslobođenje staff operated out of a makeshift newsroom in a bomb shelter after its 10-story office building had been destroyed. The war left five staff members dead and 25 wounded.
In 1993, it was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
. The editors of Oslobođenje, Kemal Kurspahić
and Gordana Knezević
, were named International Editors of the Year for 1993 by the World Press Review for their "bravery, tenacity, and dedication to the principles of journalism." During the war, its staff, consisting of Bosniaks
, Bosnian Serbs, and Bosnian Croats, managed to print the paper every day except for one.
In 2006, the company was bought by way of the Sarajevo Stock Exchange
by two leading city industries: the Sarajevo Tobacco Factory
and the Sarajevska Pivara
.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
based in the capital city Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
.
History

Trnova
- Gornja Trnova :total: 420* Serbs - 413 * Croats - 2 * "Yugoslavs" - 2 * others and unknown - 3 - Srednja Trnova :total: 721* Muslims by nationality - 682 * "Yugoslavs" - 24 * Serbs - 12...
near Ugljevik
Ugljevik
Ugljevik is a municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The municipality located in the eastern foothills of Mount Majevica, in picturesque countryside, where wondrous and beautiful mountain starts descending towards the flatlands of Semberija, to which it is tied more than any other...
, as an anti-Nazi newspaper. During the Bosnian war
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
and the Siege of Sarajevo
Siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia...
, the Oslobođenje staff operated out of a makeshift newsroom in a bomb shelter after its 10-story office building had been destroyed. The war left five staff members dead and 25 wounded.
In 1993, it was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Sakharov Prize
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, was established in December 1988 by the European Parliament as a means to honour individuals or organisations who have dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought...
. The editors of Oslobođenje, Kemal Kurspahić
Kemal Kurspahic
Kemal Kurspahić is a Bosnian Managing Editor of The Connection Newspapers in Alexandria, Va., USA and Chairman/Founder of the Media in Democracy Institute, dedicated to promoting higher standards in journalism in post-conflict societies and countries in transition to democracy...
and Gordana Knezević
Gordana Knezevic
Gordana Knezević is the former editor of Oslobođenje, and covered the siege of Sarajevo from 1992-1994. She has been based in Toronto, Canada as the online desk editor at Reuters since 1996...
, were named International Editors of the Year for 1993 by the World Press Review for their "bravery, tenacity, and dedication to the principles of journalism." During the war, its staff, consisting of Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
, Bosnian Serbs, and Bosnian Croats, managed to print the paper every day except for one.
In 2006, the company was bought by way of the Sarajevo Stock Exchange
Sarajevo Stock Exchange
The Sarajevo Stock Exchange or SASE is a stock exchange which operates in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History and structure:The Sarajevo Stock Exchange was founded in September 2001 and commenced trading on April 12, 2002, as a central marketplace for trading in securities in the Federation...
by two leading city industries: the Sarajevo Tobacco Factory
Sarajevo Tobacco Factory
Sarajevo Tobacco Factory is a cigarette-producing factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its headquarters is in Sarajevo with branches in Bihać, Tuzla, Čitluk and Banja Luka as well as in Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia and Belgrade in Serbia...
and the Sarajevska Pivara
Sarajevska Pivara
Sarajevska Pivara is a Bosnian brewing company based in Sarajevo.-History:The Sarajevska Pivara opened in 1864 as the first local industry and shortly became one of leading producers in Bosnia, with considerable amounts exported to Montenegro, Dalmatia and Albania...
.
Awards and recognitions
- The Paper of the Year in 1989 (Socialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaSocialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaThe Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
) - The Paper of the Year Award in 1992 (BBC and Granada TV - Great Britain)
- Freedom Award in 1993 (Dagens nyheter-Stockholm and Politiken Copenhagen)
- Oscar Romero Award 1993 (The Rothko Chapel - Houston, Texas)
- Nieman Foundation's Louis M. Lyons Award for conscience and integrity in journalism in 1993 (Harvard University - USA)
- Achievements in Journalism Award in 1993 (Inter Press Service - Rome)
- Andrei Sakharov Award for Human Rights 1993 (European Parliament - Strasbourg, France)