In a time when information travels faster than ever, and disinformation often dominates, the question of trust in news becomes more important than ever. When the world is shaken by wars, social crises, and disinformation, it is journalists who stand on the front line in the fight for facts. And among them, more and more women reporters, editors, and authors are risking their safety, breaking barriers, and opening topics that many prefer to turn away from. Their voice is the voice of courage, responsibility, and mission. At Weekend.18, the largest regional festival of media, communications, and technology, you will meet exactly such women – those who push the boundaries of journalism and prove that truth has no gender.
Courage from the Front Line
One of the biggest names at this year’s Weekend.18 is Portuguese journalist Mariana van Zeller, a world-renowned investigative reporter, National Geographic correspondent, and host and executive producer of the Emmy-winning series Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller. Her work takes her into the darkest corners of the world, into networks of arms smugglers, synthetic drug cartels, and illegal markets that few dare to approach. Mariana speaks to people most consider untouchable—smugglers, mobsters, and human traffickers—risking her own safety to expose the mechanisms of underground economies. Her ability to gain the trust of those on the margins of the law and bring their stories to the camera makes her one of the bravest voices of contemporary investigative journalism. In Rovinj, she will deliver the lecture “Mariana van Zeller on Risk, Truth & the Power of Storytelling – A National Geographic Conversation.”
But courage in journalism is not reserved only for the global stage. At Weekend.18, three outstanding journalists will also take part, each of them facing challenges and risks every day as they bring stories from regions where truth often comes at a high cost. Mirsada Begović, an editor at Al Jazeera English, has more than 30 years of experience, working both on the desk and in the field. She has reported on the missile attack on a U.S. base in Qatar, presidential elections in Iran, and the devastating floods in Libya that claimed thousands of lives.
Joining her is Ksenija Pavkov of N1, United Media, a journalist who won the EU Investigative Journalism Award for her documentary In the Net about smuggling gangs on the migrant route. Her story shows that real journalism does not happen from the comfort of the newsroom but on the ground—where truth and danger begin—something she has also proven with her reporting from student protests in Serbia.
How Women Took the News
Weekend.18 will also host three women who have redefined television journalism in the region. Mojmira Pastorčić, one of the most recognizable names of RTL, has been shaping the news program for two decades. As editor and host of the show RTL Direkt, she brings news directly and with attitude, earning awards such as Večernjak’s Rose and Golden Studio.
She will be joined on the panel by Jelena Obućina, editor and host of the news on Nova TV, known for her striking introductions and her authored collection About Them for Us, as well as Ana Marija Vuković, editor of the sports program on Nova TV, who under her leadership has delivered broadcasts of the biggest sports events, from football championships to UFC. All three prove that professionalism and courage have no gender, and their conversation at Weekend.18 will show how women are shaping the future of news.
Why These Stories Change Everything
In an era when speed defeats verification and algorithms shape public opinion, women like Mariana, Mirsada, Ksenija, Mojmira, Jelena, and Ana Marija show that journalism still has the face of responsibility and courage. They do not just deliver news—they deliver truth, uncompromisingly.
