Xhelal Neziri is an experienced investigative reporter and analyst. He holds a Master Degree in Communication Science and wrote his thesis on the presence of investigative journalism in printed media in North Macedonia. Since 2018, Xhelal is a PhD Candidate in Political Science in the program “Democracy in era of globalization”.

He started to work as a journalist in 2000 in a daily newspaper and thereafter worked for several North Macedonian, regional and international media outlets. In 2006 and 2007, Xhelal coordinated, edited and co-authored two cross-border investigative stories on fake passports and diplomas in the Western Balkans, which won prizes for best investigative stories. In 2016, he won another prize for his cross-border investigative story titled “In the toxic kingdom of Jugohrom”. Since 2008, he has been representing  the Danish SCOOP project in North Macedonia and coordinating national and trans-national investigative stories. In 2011, Xhelal was one of the co-founders of the first Center for Investigative Journalism in North Macedonia (SCOOP) and their first President. He has served in this position until May 2019.

Currently, Xhelal is the President of the BIRC Institute, Investigative Editor of SCOOP-Macedonia, Editor-in-chief of Inbox7 and columnist for Klubi i Debatit Politik. At the international level, he is a member of the International Advisory Board at the Journalismfund, which is based in Brussels.