Hristio Boytchev is a freelance investigative health and science journalist based in Berlin. He is the project leader of the “Follow the Grant” project, which investigates conflicts of interest in science and medicine. Hristio was named European Science Journalist of the Year 2021 by the European Federation for Science Journalism.
Twitter: @hristio
Eva von Schaper is a German-American journalist living in Munich. Her work has appeared in major publications in both English and German. In early 2020, she set out to explore the link between the drop-in measles vaccination rates in Europe and the rise of populist parties. As the pandemic unfolded, she began to see the patterns in covid-denialism that mimicked what we had seen with anti-vaxxers. Together with her co-host, she started The Inoculation podcast and the Inoculated newsletter to explore disinformation, anti-vaccine groups, and covid-denialism.
Twitter: @EvavonSchaper
Ekaterina Mandova has been supporting independent public-interest journalism in Europe for two years as part of her role in Civitates. Before joining Civitates, Ekaterina worked for different organisations on topics related to social and environmental issues. Throughout the years, she has been involved in different journalistic projects and initiatives around Europe. As a journalist, she has worked for private and community media outlets in Bulgaria and Austria.
Twitter: @emandova
Lise Barnéoud is a French freelance science journalist, particularly fond of field investigations and cross-border collaborative journalism. Her favourite subjects are medicine, biology, and environment. She collaborates with various media (Le Monde, Mediapart, Science et Vie Junior, Science et Vie, La Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie…). She is also the author of several books and documentaries for the general public (last ones: Vaccines, a pocket guide in Covid time, Editions Premier Parallèle, 2021; Antivax, les marchands de doute, Arte, 2021). She received several awards (French science journalist of the year, Trophée signatures santé, Prize for the best investigation of the magazine Lire, Prix Varenne, Ecoreportage award…) and benefited from different grants and scholarships.
Twitter: @LiseBarneoud
Nikolaus von Peter is an official of the European Union, working currently in the Representation of the European Commission in Berlin where he is following digital policy, fundamental rights, the rule of law and other policies. Mr von Peter studied law and briefly worked as a lawyer and in the German administration before joining the Commission’s treasury department. Before moving to Berlin, he worked in the private office of the European Commissioner for mobility and transport.
Twitter: @emandova
Renate Schroeder is the Director of the European Federation of Journalists, In 1993, she joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and since 2003, she has worked for the EFJ. Advocacy at EU and Council of Europe level; presentation of EFJ at international meetings and fact-finding media freedom missions; member of juries of journalistic prizes, project work, communication and assistance in several EFJ expert groups including on freelancers, media literacy and digital journalism, cover her workload in the small dynamic Brussels office.
Renate Schroeder studied International Relations and Political Science at Boston University (Bachelor’s Degree in 1988) and in Berlin at the Free University (Masters in 1992). She worked at the United Nations, New York, the research institute FAST in Berlin, and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation in Brussels before she joined the EFJ. She is of German nationality and speaks English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish (passive).
Twitter: @renatemargot
Ludovica Jona Lasinio is an investigative journalist with a special interest in video and multimedia projects. She is currently a video-maker at La7 national tv channel and regular contributor at Il Fatto Quotidiano online newspaper. She has been team leader in various cross border investigations funded by #IJ4EU, Journalismfund, and European Journalism Centre, covering surveillance, migration, pharmaceutical sector and environmental issues. Her work appeared on The Intercept, Mediapart, FQ Millennium, L’Espresso, and Report Rai3 among others.
Gürkan Özturan was trained in the field of European Studies as a researcher on radicalization and polarisation during his master’s degrees at Centre International de Formation Europeenne and Istanbul Bilgi University. Özturan previously worked as a journalist and executive manager at dokuz8NEWS and frequently appeared on international media as a commentator on Turkey and digital rights. He has served as board member for various anti-racism and rights-focused civil society organisations and social movements in Turkey. Currently he is a board member for Turkey-European Foundation, Media Research Association, Trauma & Life Association and Red Ribbon Istanbul. Özturan is a registered member of the Journalists Union of Turkey and International Federation of Journalists. Özturan currently works as the coordinator of Media Freedom Rapid Response at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom in Leipzig, Germany.
Twitter: @obefintlig
Stefano Valentino is an Italian entrepreneurial journalist based in Brussels and Investigations Manager at the European magazine Voxeurop and member of the European Data Journalism Network (EDJNet). He is a specialist of EU affairs and global ecological crises. Over the last years, he has investigated the connections between environment, sustainability, lobbying, security, and conflicts. He has a track record of international investigations funded by grant-making organisations. His work has appeared in leading media outlets in different countries, such as the Guardian, the Christian Science Monitor, EU Observer, Alternatives Economiques, Iil Fatto Quotidiano, El Confidencial, and NRC Handelsblad.
Anastasia Kirilenko is a Russian independent investigative reporter and radio journalist. From 2009 to 2015, Kirilenko was a reporter at the Russian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Since 2014, she has been based in Paris. Since 2015, she has written for the Insider Russian investigative media. She is a co-producer of the 2018 TV documentary Putin and the Mafia which draws on the links between Putin and organised crime and has been shown in a dozen of EU countries and Switzerland. Kirilenko runs the “Transborder Corruption Archive” public database.
Twitter: @anastasiaki
