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Melina Borčak

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Melina Borčak (born 1990 in Foča, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, now Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Bosnian journalist, author and filmmaker. In her work she focuses above all on anti-Muslim racism, genocide, media criticism and (Muslim) feminism.1Borčak, Melina (n.d.): Website von Melina Borčak. Online at: https://melinaborcak.com/de/uber-mich/ (accessed on 3 January 2025).

Career

Melina Borčak was born in 1990. In 1992 she fled the war in Bosnia together with, among others, her mother and sister.2Skurt, Melanie (2023): Aufklärerisch – Melina Borčak. In: Veto Magazin, article of 6 March. Online at: https://veto-mag.de/melina-borcak/ (accessed on 3 January 2025). After several months as refugees, the family came to Germany,3Joung, Frank (2023): Melina Borčak (BIH): Genozid-Trauma, Sehnsuchtsort Deutschland & Kuscheltiernamen. In: Halbe Katoffl Podcast, article of 15 October. Online at: https://halbekatoffl.de/melina-borcak-bosnien/ (accessed on 9 February 2025). where Borčak grew up in North Rhine-Westphalia.4(n.a.) (2023): Was gibt dir Hoffnung? Melina Borčak und Genozid. In: GANZSCHÖNLAUT Shownotes, episode of 4 July. Online at: https://vetomagazin.podigee.io/12-melina-borcak (accessed on 3 January 2025). After the official end of the war, the family had to return to Bosnia in 1996 and settled in Sarajevo.5Joung, Frank (2023): Melina Borčak (BIH): Genozid-Trauma, Sehnsuchtsort Deutschland & Kuscheltiernamen. In: Halbe Katoffl Podcast, article of 15 October. Online at: https://halbekatoffl.de/melina-borcak-bosnien/ (accessed on 9 February 2025). Melina Borčak herself describes the period of their return as a ‘nightmare’.6(n.a.) (2023): Was gibt dir Hoffnung? Melina Borčak und Genozid. In: GANZSCHÖNLAUT Shownotes, episode of 4 July. Online at: https://vetomagazin.podigee.io/12-melina-borcak (accessed on 3 January 2025).

In Sarajevo, Borčak studied communication science. During her studies she also gained journalistic experience during stays in Bonn, Berlin and Potsdam, including at Deutsche Welle, the Electronic Media School and the Deutscher Bundestag (German Federal Parliament). In 2015 she moved back to Germany and obtained a master’s degree in media studies at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.7Borčak, Melina (n.d.): Website von Melina Borčak. Online at: https://melinaborcak.com/de/uber-mich/ (accessed on 3 January 2025).

Melina Borčak now lives in Berlin and spends part of the year in Bosnia.8Joung, Frank (2023): Melina Borčak (BIH): Genozid-Trauma, Sehnsuchtsort Deutschland & Kuscheltiernamen. In: Halbe Katoffl Podcast, article of 15 October. Online at: https://halbekatoffl.de/melina-borcak-bosnien/ (accessed on 9 February 2025).

Work as a journalist and filmmaker

Melina Borčak works as a journalist and filmmaker for media outlets such as CNN, ARD, arte and Deutsche Welle. In her journalistic work she deals, among other things, with the history and consequences of the Bosnian War and sheds light on the fate of (Muslim) migrants in Germany and Europe. In the documentary report Die Kinder des Bosnienkriegs – 23 Jahre später (The children of the Bosnian War – 23 years later), Borčak also goes in search of her own past and visits friends and former neighbours who supported her family after they fled.9Borčak, Melina (reporter) (2019): Die Kinder des Bosnienkrieges – 23 Jahre später. Funk, report of 25 April. Online at: https://play.funk.net/channel/ykollektiv-1059/die-kinder-des-bosnienkriegs-23-jahre-spaeter-1607064 (accessed on 17 February 2025).

As an interviewee in podcasts, print and television, Melina Borčak raises awareness about Islam as ‘the enemy image’ and critically examines the portrayal of genocide in the media. In an interview with the online magazine Watson, she criticises the fact that the genocide against Bosniaks has ‘disappeared from Europe’s collective memory’.10Jannaschk, Julia (2023): Mekka hier, Mekka da: Warum Ignoranz gegenüber dem Islam gefährlich ist. In: Watson, article of 20 September. Online at: https://www.watson.de/leben/interview/118476802-islam-feindlichkeit-warum-ignoranz-gegenueber-der-religion-so-gefaehrlich-ist (accessed on 3 January 2025). In an interview with baba news, she spoke critically about the use of the term ‘moderate Muslims’ and discussed the role of the media in spreading anti-Muslim racism.11(n.a.) (2024): Rassismus und Sprache – „Gemäßigt“ wird nur für Muslime benutzt. In: baba news, article of 22 October. Online at: https://www.babanews.ch/rassismus-und-sprache-gemaessigt-wird-nur-fuer-muslime-benutzt (accessed on 9 February 2025).

By her own account, she is active as a ‘newsfluencer’12Borčak, Melina (n.d.): Website von Melina Borčak. Online at: https://melinaborcak.com/de/uber-mich/ (accessed on 3 January 2025). on social media platforms such as X and Instagram and uses these channels to make her educational work on genocide and anti-racist media criticism accessible to a broad audience.

Author

In 2023 she published her book Mekka hier, Mekka da. Wie wir über antimuslimischen Rassismus sprechen müssen (Mecca here, Mecca there: How we need to talk about anti-Muslim racism), in which she examines the role of language and media framing in relation to anti-Muslim racism.13Borčak, Melina (2023): Mekka hier, Mekka da. Wie wir über antimuslimischen Rassismus sprechen müssen. München: hanserblau, ISBN 978-3-446-27822-6, p. 12. In April 2024 the book entered the SPIEGEL bestseller list at number 7.14Spiegel (2024): Spiegel-Bestseller Sachbuch, 16 April 2024. In it, Borčak criticises one-sided media coverage, which, she argues, leads to important issues from the Muslim community remaining under-represented and to stereotypical images becoming further entrenched. A central chapter of the book is devoted to the subject of genocide and the linguistic trivialisation of such crimes. Melina Borčak shows how terms such as ‘massacre’ or ‘mass murder’ trivialise the systematic extermination of population groups and thus diminish awareness of such atrocities. In doing so, Borčak also addresses her own biography as a refugee and deals with coming to terms with the Bosnian War.

Other areas of focus

In addition to her journalistic work, she regularly gives talks and workshops on media literacy and bias awareness. Borčak is also the founder of the Perspective Collective, a collective of journalists with a history of forced displacement and migration.15Borčak, Melina (n.d.): Website von Melina Borčak. Online at: https://melinaborcak.com/de/uber-mich/ (accessed on 3 January 2025).

Through her active participation in public discussions, both online and offline, Melina Borčak helps to raise awareness of social injustices and promotes dialogue on current political and social issues.

Criticism of the SWR podcast Sack Reis and the broadcast of the episode on the genocide in Bosnia

In March 2022 the SWR podcast Sack Reis (literally ‘sack of rice’) released an episode entitled ‘Kurz vor Krieg? Der zerbrechliche Frieden in Bosnien-Herzegowina’ (On the brink of war? The fragile peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina). The episode featured a young woman who denied the genocide against Bosniaks during the Bosnian War.16Serif, Moritz (2022): SWR-Podcast „Sack Reis“ lässt Genozid-Leugnerin zu Wort kommen – Folge immer noch online. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 23 August. Online at: https://www.fr.de/kultur/gesellschaft/swr-podcast-sack-reis-bosnien-genozidleugnung-91737265.html (accessed on 3 January 2025).

In an article published on the online platform journalist in July 2022, Melina Borčak criticises the broadcast and points out numerous factual errors. In the article, Borčak stresses that disseminating such statements without appropriate contextualisation is not only journalistically irresponsible, but also disregards the feelings of survivors and provides a platform for genocide denial.17Borčak , Melina (2022): Strafbar schlechter Journalismus. In: Journalist, article of 20 July. Online at: https://www.journalist.de/werkstatt/werkstatt-detail/strafbar-schlechter-journalismus/ (accessed on 3 January 2025).

In response to the criticism, SWR invited Melina Borčak to a special episode to discuss the accusations. However, the conversation ended without agreement and led to further controversy.18Klingenmaier, Thomas (2022): SWR löscht zwei strittige Podcasts. In: Stuttgarter Zeitung, article of 25 August. Online at: https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.streit-um-sack-reis-swr-loescht-zwei-strittige-podcasts.0e486773-6de9-4ed7-aa31-57387ac12682.html (accessed on 3 January 2025). SWR eventually decided to take both the original and the special episode offline and apologised for the hurt caused.19Kirschbaum, Lara (2022): SWR löscht Disput um Genozidleugnung. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, article of 3 September. Online at: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/swr-loescht-disput-ueber-genozidleugnung-in-sack-reis-18287877.html (accessed on 3 January 2025). Melina Borčak then published the deleted episode on her personal website.20Kirschbaum, Lara (2022): SWR löscht Disput um Genozidleugnung. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, article of 3 September. Online at: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/swr-loescht-disput-ueber-genozidleugnung-in-sack-reis-18287877.html (accessed on 3 January 2025).

Awards, grants and prizes

Borčak has held scholarships from the Deutschlandstiftung Integration under the patronage of Dr Angela Merkel, as well as from the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, the City of Sarajevo and the Ikre Stiftung for children of parents murdered in the genocide and of demobilised soldiers. She also received a scholarship from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.21Borčak, Melina (n.d.): Website von Melina Borčak. Online at: https://melinaborcak.com/de/uber-mich/ (accessed on 3 January 2025).

Publications

Filmography [selection]

Articles & essays [selection]

Books

  • Borčak, Melina (2023): Mekka hier, Mekka da. Wie wir über antimuslimischen Rassismus sprechen müssen. München: hanserblau, ISBN 978-3-446-27822-6.

External links

Machine translation: This article was translated automatically from the German original.

Melina Borčak Foto: privat
Empfohlene Zitierweise
  • Nora Iranee
  •  (2025)
  • : Melina Borčak. In: Equalpedia. 
  • Online unter: 
https://www.equalpedia.org/en/melina-borcak-2/
  • (Zugriff am 26. September 2026).