By: C. R., Spletni časopis
The Association of Journalists and Publicists in Ljubljana awarded the Borut Meško prizes for 2025.
The recipient of the honorary lifetime achievement award was journalist Vinko Vasle, while honorary awards for special journalistic achievements went to journalist, editor, and founder of the portal Požareport Bojan Požar, and to the program Planet 18, the association announced.
Reminder: journalist and editor Borut Meško was dismissed by Bojan Veselinovič, when he was appointed from the left as director of the national press agency (STA) in 2009. Veselinovič removed him as editor‑in‑chief and even terminated him as a journalist “for cause.” He threw him out onto the street. This effectively disabled Meško as a journalist. Soon after, in May 2010, Meško died of cancer and could not defend himself in court. Political purges of editors and journalists in state and para‑state media are often carried out by politicians in Slovenia, but rarely do they end as tragically and unjustly as in Meško’s case. As a journalist and editor during independence and afterwards, he showed great courage and ability, working for Tribuna, Mladina, Television Slovenia, POP TV, and STA.
The board of the Borut Meško honorary award emphasised in its justification for choosing Vasle that he is one of the most brilliant journalistic minds of recent decades. “We can say that the award of the Association of Journalists and Publicists goes to one of the most skilled, courageous, and high‑quality writers in Slovenian media, who has always remained faithful to the fundamental principle of journalistic work – the truth,” they highlighted.
According to the association, Vasle’s commitment to truth and respectful attitude toward readers was evident already at the beginning of his career at Kmečki glas, where as editor‑in‑chief he confidently shaped its editorial policy. He continued his journalistic path at Delo and later at the weekly Mag and the magazine Jana. From 2006 to 2010 he was director of Radio Slovenia, later editor‑in‑chief of the web portal Siol. Among Vasle’s qualities they highlighted his exceptional sense of humour, which explains why a large part of his work consists of satirical glosses. For many years he contributed glosses also to Demokracija.
Vinko Vasle could not attend the ceremony, so the award was received on his behalf by colleague Zlata Kraševec.
Journalist and editor Bojan Požar received the award for special journalistic achievements. According to the justification, he has in recent decades become a synonym for investigative journalism in the Slovenian public sphere, and is considered one of the most well‑informed journalists in the country. They recalled that his career began in traditional media, reaching its peak with the establishment of the portal Požareport, one of the most influential platforms for uncovering political, economic, and social backgrounds in Slovenia in recent years. “His publications regularly trigger public reactions, debates, and investigations, and also have political consequences, as more than one minister has resigned because of his revelations,” the justification stated.
The award for special journalistic achievements also went to the programme Planet 18 and its creators. In recent times it has established itself as a credible news programme, bringing much‑needed pluralism into the Slovenian media space, as it covers events and topics that viewers do not encounter in other influential and related media, according to the justification.