Edward Jozef Szekeres

Freelance Journalist & Fixer

Slovakia

I'm a Slovak/Hungarian stringer and fixer based in and around Bratislava. Having lived for the past decade in the UK and the Benelux, I now tend to swing in and out of CEE countries almost on a weekly shopping basis. My scoops cover a broad range of topics, but it's politics, social issues, sports and their twisted entanglement that make me get up from bed on most days. On the occasional morning I prefer to sleep, though.

Bylines regularly pop up, among others, in Balkan Insight, Dennik N, and the Slovak Spectator, among others. Find some of my most recent work here:

https://balkaninsight.com/author/edward-szekeres/

https://dennikn.sk/autor/edward-szekeres/

I specialise in long-form features, reportage and profiles, but my experience in fixing for the likes of ABC News and muckrakers from around the world lends me a healthy dose of confidence in the fast-paced, boots-on-the-ground world of breaking news reporting. Other skills and training include camera work (both in front and behind the lens), radio journalism, audio and video editing.

Currently in the last phase of obtaining my Master in Journalism degree from the University of Groningen. My insatiable drive to see, smell, hear, taste, touch and feel stories everywhere, anywhere is at the crux of finding the time to finish that cursed thesis, though.

Available for commissions in Europe and beyond, please reach out at [email protected]

Facebook Icon Twitter Icon LinkedIn Icon Resume Icon
Portfolio

Profiles, Features & Sports

Denník N
24/03/2021
Magoniho tvrdá kritika Vlhovej? Znie mi to ako zbohom, tvrdí taliansky novinár

Igor Vlha v utorok oznámil, že jeho dcéra Petra Vlhová bude s Liviom Magonim pokračovať aj v budúcej sezóne. Taliansky tréner má s Vlhovcami ešte rok platnú zmluvu. V rovnaký deň však vyšiel s Magonim rozhovor v talianskom Corriere della Sera, v ktorom bol Magoni na Vlhovú veľmi tvrdý.

Denník N
17/03/2021
Je to pošliapavanie spravodlivosti a vtip, píšu švajčiarske médiá o zrušenom zjazde

Švajčiarsko má po zrušenom stredajšom zjazde na domácej zjazdovke v Lenzerheide istý ďalší malý krištáľový glóbus. Po predčasnom triumfe Lary Gutovej-Behramiovej v super G z konca februára prisúdilo husté sneženie vo švajčiarskom stredisku konečné víťazstvo v mužskom zjazde 34-ročnému Beatovi Feuzovi, ktorý v siedmich zjazdoch nazbieral 486 bodov.

Denník N
13/02/2021
Keď ho hneval fotograf, z pódia po ňom hodil trofej. Alberto Tomba bol Maradonom lyžovania

Dejisko prebiehajúcich MS v lyžovaní v Cortine d'Ampezzo je pre talianskych priaznivcov posvätným miestom. Ikonická spleť zjazdoviek, prezývaná „Kráľovná Dolomitov", hostila historicky druhý šampionát v zjazdovom lyžovaní v roku 1932 aj zimnú olympiádu v roku 1956. Olympijské hry bude organizovať aj v roku 2026. Taliani sú však na Cortinu hrdí aj z celkom iného dôvodu.

Kafkadesk
13/04/2020
Slovak education: A skeleton in the closet "exposed" by pandemic - Kafkadesk

Bratislava, Slovakia - With Slovak schools under a nationwide lockdown since March 16, the internet has become the nation's headmaster. While keeping the wheels of teaching turning, the abrupt digitization of schooling has also blown the lid off the derelict state of Slovak education, experts say.

Denník N
28/03/2020
Zobudil sa. Holandský futbalista prekonal kómu aj predpovede lekárov

Sú to takmer tri roky, čo sa na ihrisku v tieni rakúskych Álp stretli v rámci letnej prípravy na nadchádzajúcu sezónu Ajax Amsterdam a Werder Brémy. Pre vtedy dvadsaťročného hráča Ajaxu Abdelhaka Nouriho sa priateľský zápas pod ostrým slnkom v sekunde zmenil na boj o život.

Kafkadesk
18/03/2020
Hungary's controversial "national consultation" off-track amid virus lockdown

Budapest, Hungary - Government plans to hold a national survey gauging citizens' views on nine questions concerning, among others, segregation in schools and judicial independence, appear to be on hold among the raging coronavirus pandemic that sealed Hungary's borders and prompted Prime Minister Viktor Orban to declare a nation-wide lockdown.

UK
28/11/2019
Teaching without seeing

Visually impaired PhD candidate Bas Tadema teaches constitutional law and treks through jungles, all while relying on his other senses - and a distinctive white cane.

UK
05/11/2019
Condoms, puke, and pubic hair

Every day, a team of cleaners picks up your rubbish, wipes away your coffee stains, and scrapes your chewing gum from the urinals so you don't have to study for exams in a dump. Their job is to keep the library spotless. It's a doomed mission.

UK
30/09/2019
Meet the men in black (and red)

You've probably seen them around - the men in red and black always telling students to park their bikes somewhere else. You may find it annoying, but they're doing it for your safety and security. It's also a chance to get their own lives on track.

Castrum Novum
09/09/2019
Na kurte si tykal aj s prezidentom. Do loptičky udiera aj po 80-ke

Úspešný tenisový veterán a stále aktívny hráč Ľudovít Augustín prekypuje energiou, ktorú by mu závideli aj mladšie generácie. Niekoľkonásobný majster Slovenska vo svojej vekovej kategórii je presvedčený, že základy staroby si človek musí vybudovať v tridsiatke až päťdesiatke.

UKrant
21/05/2019
Farmer ´til I die

Home and away, on a rainy Wednesday night or a scorching Sunday afternoon, these students follow FC Groningen everywhere and chant the team’s name from the stands. Why?

Gamesite.sk
06/04/2019
Koľko zarába najúspešnejší YouTuber všetkých čias?

Dá sa to aj bez vysokej školy. Aspoň to vyplýva z pohľadu na mimoriadne úspešnú kariéru Felixa Kjellberga, známeho tiež pod pseudonymom „PewDiePie". Blonďavý Švéd je historicky najúspešnejším tvorcom obsahu na platforme YouTube, kde má v súčasnosti viac ako 93 miliómená tučný balík peňazí.nov odberateľov.

UK
26/03/2019
'Business is bigger than studying'

You think you have enough on your plate already? Try running a café while also trying to pass exams. For Moldovan student Diana Scorpan, it is hard but rewarding work.

UK
31/1/2019
The person behind the pizza

In rain or shine, hail or snow, delivery people are out on the streets of Groningen, ready to answer hunger's call.

Politics & News

Denník N
28/02/2021
Týždeň v NHL: Skritizoval Putina, teraz ho obvinili z násilia. Panarin si za Rusko už možno nezahrá

New York Rangers sa neurčitý čas bude musieť zaobísť bez svojej najväčšej hviezdy. Artemija Panarina totiž v Rusku bez dôkazov obvinili z napadnutia ženy pred desiatimi rokmi. Medzi najlepšie tímy NHL sa medzičasom prekvapivo zaradila Florida, ktorej prospela výmena na poste generálneho manažéra aj príchody nových hráčov. Montreal vyhodil trénera - čo to znamená pre Tomáša Tatara?

The Northern Times
04/12/2019
Parkrun to sound starting pistol in Groningen in February | The Northern Times

Running enthusiasts in Groningen can start lacing up their shoes for a unique weekly event that will see them snake their way through bike-free paths tucked away in the thick of the Stadspark. Parkrun, a weekly 5 kilometers-long run with no entry fee or time limits, is coming to Groningen in late February 2020.

UK
02/10/2019
Emergency housing extended

Homeless students sleeping at the Metaallaan emergency housing can stay two more weeks. While the emergency housing facility was supposed to close on October 1, too many students still haven't found a permanent housing solution.

UK
12/06/2019
Students protest against harassment | UKrant column

Sparked by UKrant columnist Gerrit Breeuwsma's latest column, thirty students gathered on Tuesday to protest harassment. The Hold RUG Accountable organisation calls for a 'dialogue about respectful academia' in a safe space.

The Stand
15/05/2019
Clash at European Election Debate in Groningen

D66 accuses the SP of nationalist fear mongering, as an all-female candidate panel initially demonstrates solidarity, but ends up colliding on major policy issues facing the next European Parliament.

UK
12/03/2019
Fire forces students out of their house

A fire on Tuesday morning at the corner of Parkweg and Hoornsediep caused considerable damage. Inhabitants of a student house at the Hoornsediep have no idea when - or if - they can return home.

Social Issues

UK
11/09/2019
Bike chaos will only get worse

Can't find a space to park your bike around the university buildings in the city centre? Bike stewards don't see that improving any time soon. 'We remove one bike, and three others take its place.'

UK
02/09/2019
Living in the Esdoornflat: 'At least the people are nice'

At the official start of the academic year, many new students have to make do with a temporary emergency room. UKrant dropped by the Esdoornflat, one of the biggest emergency housing complexes, to see how students live.

UK
15/08/2019
KEI bans balloons, but message falls on deaf ears

Although KEI-week banned the infamous gas balloons from all of their events, students who went out for the pub crawl could easily get them at nearby locations, undermining KEI's message.

Studentenkrant
06/06/2019
The one that got away: why are we heading for another housing crisis?

Predators prey on the most vulnerable, goes the old adage. Rogue landlords exploit international students, says the Groninger translation. And don't be fooled by the promise that next year is going to be better. The RUG itself admits that we need more rooms to house incoming students.

UK
04/03/2019
Uber Eats couriers go on strike in Groningen

Payment reductions and a sudden drop in orders prompted more than half of the estimated 200 Uber Eats couriers in the city to go on strike last Monday, according to sources close to the protest.

The Stand
07/11/2018
Tippelzone Shutdown - A Tug of War Between Policy and Reality

Used condoms stuck to trash cans, empty metal booths, puddles on the pavement. Silence in the air. In the final months of the Groningen Tippelzone, sex workers are left out in the cold due to stigma and bigotry. It's the calm before the storm.

Video/TV Reportage

Radio Reportage