Skopje, 18 July 2025 (MIA) -- MIA's journalist Slobodan Ivanov received Thursday at an awards event the 2025 Messenger of the Marginalized (Гласник на невидливите) journalism award for excellence in reporting on social issues including poverty and disability.

Ivanov has been awarded for his feature on the challenges people with disabilities face in accessing essential services, education and employment to participate fully in society.

In the video story, Ivanov talked to people with disabilities and eight local mayors. The story was published on Dec. 3, 2024, to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Ivanov collaborated on the story with Ana Cvetkovska, Biljana Anastasova-Kostikj, Sasho Arsovski and Boris Kunoski.

"I dedicate this feature to my community and everyone facing some kind of disability imposed by society. I would like to thank Boris Kunoski, who produced the video, and Andrej Brankovikj, camera and editing. My thanks also goes to Ana, Biljana, Jovan, Vladimir, Bisera, Angela, Dragan, Vesna, Gordana, Vishko and everyone who directly or indirectly took part in the organization and the filming of the video story. I would also like to thank the Macedonian Information Agency. When we work together as a team, success is guaranteed," Ivanov said at the event.

The Messenger of the Marginalized award was established by the Macedonian Anti-Poverty Platform in 2018. The award honors journalists whose sensitive reporting gives a voice to the marginalized, increasing awareness and understanding of people living with limited access to opportunities.

The other six reporters who were awarded this year are Ana Arsenovska Zafirova, Goshe Nikolov, Emilija Bunteska Nacoska, Kristijan Landov, Ljubica Ivanova and Natasha Dokovska. Their awarded stories cover topics ranging from parenting autistic children through helping people living in hunger to fighting for menstrual justice.

Macedonian Anti-Poverty Platform president Biljana Dukovska said each year they received some 20-25 entries for the award but the topics changed.

"If several years ago we had stories on undocumented persons who cannot receive welfare benefits, this year we witnessed the rising popularity of topics related to people with disabilities, especially the lack of social services and support to families of people with disabilities," Dukovska said.

She welcomed the changing approach to journalistic storytelling. "There are serious features now by authors who approach them analytically and include the people living with the problem while sending strong messages for societal change," she said. mr/