Aleksandar Mitic

Aleksandar Mitic, born 1974, is a regular lecturer of the course "News Reporting in Crisis Situations" at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Belgrade.

As an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent from 1999-2005, he was the only journalist working for foreign media who covered the entire 1999 NATO bombings from within Kosovo. He has covered all the crises in the region since and contributes regularly to the International Security Network (Zurich), Transitions Online (Prague) and NIN (Belgrade).

As an analyst, he is a regular guest of political shows in Serbia and has appeared on various international media, from BBC World to Al Jazeera.

He has a Bachelor of Journalism/Political Science and a Masters in International Affairs/Conflict Analysis from Carleton University, with an MA thesis on "The Impact of the Media on Preventive Diplomacy". He is currently working on his PhD thesis - "Journalistic Responsibility in Crisis Situations" - at the University of Belgrade.

Mitic has worked with the Institute of Serbia and Montenegro in Brussels and in 2006 Mitic helped develop the independent "Institute 4S" in Brussels. It tries to achieve 4 Synergies: "a synergy among Serbs, a synergy between Serbs and other nations with which they are living, a synergy between Serbs in Serbia and their diaspora and a synergy between Serbia and Europe". The main focus is on public affairs activism, mainly dealing with Kosovo at this point of time.

The CD-ROM "Kosovo 2006: The Making of a Compromise" is the first and major product of the Institute.

Mitic became a TFF Associate in March 2005.

JOURNALISM WORK

January 1999 - January 2005: Correspondent, Agence France-Presse, Belgrade

Covered news stories from Belgrade. Interviewed foreign dignitaries, diplomats, police, military and political sources. Attended briefings and press conferences. From January to July 1999, covered the Kosovo conflict. Reported from Kosovo throughout the NATO bombings as the only news agency correspondent working for foreign media in the province. Worked at the Belgrade bureau responsible for Serbia and Montenegro, including Kosovo, as well as Macedonia and Albania.

1991-present: Journalist-Analyst-Reporter, Belgrade & Ottawa

Write and produce stories for newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations from Serbia-Montenegro, Canada, the United States, France, etc (Serbian correspondent of Transitions Online - Prague, Serbian correspondent of the International Security Network - Zurich, La Croix-Paris, TVA-LCN-Montreal, TV5- Paris, Journal du Dimanche - Paris, NIN - Belgrade, BBC World-London, Al Jazeera - Dubai, etc).

December 2003 - present: Instructor in Journalism, University of Belgrade

Teaching the course « News Reporting in Crisis Situations » to 35 students of the third-year journalism and communications programme at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade. Created the course - a novelty at the faculty - and the teaching method of the course. Also instructed the course « Theories and Techniques of Journalism » to 45 students of the second-year journalism programme.

EDUCATION

September 2003 - present: PhD in Journalism and Communications, University of Belgrade. Working on the PhD thesis « Journalistic Responsibility in Crisis Situations : a Case-study Analysis of the Relationship between Media Management and Ethical Reporting ».

1996- 1997: Masters (M.A.) in International Affairs-Conflict Analysis, Carleton University, Ottawa

Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa. A-level GPA - Defended thesis "with distinction": "Influence of the Media on Preventive Diplomacy: Three Cases from the Yugoslav Conflict".

1992-1996: Bachelor of Journalism (B.J.) - Highest Honors in Journalism and Political Science, Carleton University, Ottawa

AWARDS

- Agence France-Presse award (1999) for excellent reporting from Kosovo during the NATO bombings.

- Halstead Scholarship (1997) to study the European integration process.

- Norman Paterson School of International Affairs Entrance Scholarship (1996)

- Blain Fraser Memorial Award (1996) for best international political reporting.

- Lester B. Pearson Scholarship (1996) for academic excellence.

Address	Institute 4S, Brussels, Belgium Boulevard Louis Schmidt 103, 1040 Brussels, Belgium Bitoljska 2 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Phone	+32 2 3444 147 (institute) +32 484 067 306 (mob) Belgrade phone (irr.) +381- 63 - 349 - 098
Fax	n.a.
E-mail Homepage	amitic5star@yahoo.com http://www.institute4s.com/

Articles by Aleksandar Mitic

The most recent on top

Aleksandar Mitic et.al., January 19, 2009
Kosovo Compromise
With lots of pertinent, well-researched articles on the Balkans - and a new issue of the Kosovo Compromise Journal

Aleksandar Mitic, September 15, 2008
"Welcome to Kosovossetia"
The Kosoco Compromise Newsletter
August-September 2008

Aleksandar Mitic, Iran's Press TV, July 28, 2008 - Video
TV talk-show: “Kosovo six months on”
Together with Dr. Dusan Relic in Berlin

Aleksandar Mitic, Institute 4S, May 15, 2008
Kosovo Compromise 2008
The best single collection of world media clippings, analytical articles, arguments pro et con of the main issues. For those who are interested in getting behind Western political hype and mainstream media uniformity.

Aleksandar Mitic, Institute 4S, May 15, 2008
In Press.
Justifying Kosovo's recognition: Between the eccentric and the absurd...

Aleksandar Mitic, February 11, 2008
The Kosovo Compromise 2008

Aleksandar Mitic, October 1, 2007
Kosovo Compromise
Brand new homepage on Kosovo's future status and what happens in the negotiation process. Q & A of the most important themes and daily updates from the world press.

Aleksandar Mitic, In Press, September-October 1, 2007
Kosovo Status Crisis - Why Negotiate (PDF)
Leading newsletter about Kosovo from the S4 Institute.

Aleksandar Mitic & Jan Oberg, July 19, 2007
A new beginning for Kosovo
During the last almost 20 years, the Kosovo conflict has been handled by the international community on the basis of three counterproductive assumptions. One, it was believed that it could be dealt with as a special case. Two, it was seen as a political power issue rather than a case for professional conflict-resolution. Three, there was a belief that the lack of mediation could be covered up by NATO’s “peacemaking” bombings in 1999. Albanians and Serbs have all reason to feel cheated by the international community. It must now make a new beginning.

Aleksandar Mitic, 11:e maj 2007
Europa har förlorat inflytande i Kosovo
EU ser ut att stå inför stora risker när det gäller Kosovo: I säkerhetsrådet är läget låst, inom EU råder delade meningar och det finns inte minsta spår av att Serbien skulle godta Martti Ahtisaaris plan att stycka av Kosovo från Serbien.

Aleksandar Mitic & Jan Oberg, May 9, 2007
Kosovo's Pandora Box
One of the most dangerous and unrealistic ideas circulating today in international politics consists of considering the Serbian province of Kosovo as a “unique” case. Under such thinking, Kosovo’s independence should be imposed on Serbia in breach of all international laws and UN SC 1244.

Aleksandar Mitic, May 2, 2007
The EU has long lost its leverage in Kosovo
One thing is now clear: there will be no UN Security Council resolution based on the core of Ahtisaari's proposal because there is simply no agreement on why Kosovo should be the first case in the 62-year long history of the UN in which the body legitimizes a dismemberment of a member country.

Aleksandar Mitic & Jan Oberg
International Herald Tribune, February 22, 2007
The Kosovo example
A much-shortened argument of a longer article to be published elsewhere.

Aleksandar Mitic, September 21, 2006
Kosovo: The power of compromise
A concise argument in favour of fairness and international law, not the least UNSC 1244. He also guides you through the intellectually poor views of the mediator, Mr. Ahtisaari, and the Contact Group. Mitic outlines a win-win solution that will last longer than the present idea of imposing independence on Serbia.

Aleksandar Mitic, August 12, 2006
Kosovo 2006: The Making of a Compromise
A brand new CD on a) Kosovo Yesterday. A Disputed Land; b) Kosovo Today. UNMIK Titanik and c) Kosovo Tomorrow. The Making of a Compromise. If you want to inform yourself about the main story developing in European affairs this autumn - the future of Serbia and Kosovo - this is where you should begin. At Cafe Babel you find the first introduction. And here more about Mitic.

Aleksandar Mitic, June 26, 2006
End Balkanization now!
About independence for Montenegro and, perhaps, Kosovo. Mitic argues that this can be dangerous for the region as well as stimulate separatism elsewhere. Why is there so little interest in the media... "Can there be any more "taboos" if there are no more principles?" - he asks.

Aleksandar Mitic & Jan Oberg in the International Herald Tribune
December 5, 2005
Response to Hashim Thaci's article on Kosovo's independence
A few counterarguments to Thaci's article about Kosovo's independence. IHT printed a much shortened version; here is our article in full.

PressInfo 228, 10. november 2005 (dansk)
Kosovo - mange andre muligheder end uafhængighed
Det internationale samfund mangler en principfast politik og strategi for Kosovo. Det gør det muligt for visse aktører at hævde at der kun findes én løsning - deres egen. Udviklingen i spillet om Kosovo lover ikke godt for alle dem, der måtte håbe på både retfærdighed og fred i og omkring provinsen.
I princippet er der mange mulige løsninger - og vi nævner dem. Men en stagnerende politisk tankegang og fraværet af en principfast politik plus ren ønsketænkning om fremtiden gør det stadigt særere at se en rimelig løsning. Og derfor kan vold bestemt ikke udelukkes i fremtiden.

PressInfo 228, 27 oktober, 2005
Kosovo: Många valmöjligheter utom oberoende
Det internationella samhället saknar en principfast politik och strategi för Kosovo. Det gör det möjligt för vissa aktörer att hävda att det bara finns en enda lösning: deras egen. Utvecklingen i spelet om Kosovo bådar illa för alla som hoppas på både fred och rättvisa i och kring provinsen. I princip är många lösningar möjliga, men ett stagnerande politiskt tänkande och avsaknaden av principfast politik kopplat till rent önsketänkande om framtiden försvårar avsevärt en rimlig lösning. Därför kan våld definitivt inte uteslutas i framtiden.

PressInfo 228, October 27, 2005
Kosovo: Many options but independence
The international community lacks a principled policy and strategy for Kosovo. This plays into the hands of actors who believe that there is only one solution: their own. The latest developments in Kosovo bodes ill for those who want both justice and peace in and around Kosovo. In principle many solutions are possible, but rigid thinking and lack of principle coupled with wishful thinking remain major stumbling blocks and, thus, new violence can not be excluded. By Jan Oberg and Aleksandar Mitic.

The Kosovo Solution Serie - 10 articles on the future of Kosovo together with TFF director Jan Oberg