Professional Work is Journalists’ Main Weapon
On May 3, the World Press Freedom Day, BAJ held an awarding ceremony of its yearly contest Volnaye Slova (Free Word) honoring best works in Belarusian mass media published in 2013.
BAJ chairperson Zhanna Litvina congratulated everyone on the World Press Freedom Day. “Our home issues are systemic and chronic, but in the light of the events in the neighboring country they indeed don’t look that critical,” she said. “This is a dramatic daily routine to which we must be ready. Journalists must show a war in the way that it would end as sooner as possible, and must feel responsible for covering the events. Professional work of our colleagues is the only means to resist propaganda and is our main “weapon”.
“The contest Volnaye Slova was created for keeping standards of our profession,” underlined the chairperson of the jury Yuras Karmanau. “Our winners demonstrate professionalism of the highest level.”
More than 130 works submitted from 55 people; the range of topics varies from a picturesque story about Drazdy to Nobel Prize Belarusian nominees, drug trafficking and sex reassignment surgery. The full list of winners is here.
Nadzeya Belakhvostik (Komsomolskaya Pravda), 3rd place in “Best informational material
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Aliaksei Karol (Novy Chas) is receiving a prize for Valiaryna Kustava who took the 2nd place in the nomination “Best analytical publication”
Тext by Andrei Dynko (Nasha Niva), 1st place in “Best analytical publication”
Zmitser Lukashuk (Euroradio), 2nd place in “Best informational material”
Zmitser Pankavets (Nasha Niva), 3rd place in “Best feature journalism genres”
Text by Zmitser Yanenka (Tovarisch Online), 3rd place in “Best analytical publication”
Ruslan Harbachou’s wife (Salidarnasts’) receiving a prize for husband in 3rd place in “Feature genres”
Yauhen Valoshyn (Euroradio), 1st place in “Investigative journalism”
Alena Zaparozhats (34mag.net), 3rd place in “Debut”
Natallia Benitsevich (TUT.BY), 2nd place in “Debut”
After the awarding ceremony, the famous Belarusian journalism Aliaksandr Tamkovich presented his English-language version of the book “The newest history in personalities”.
The yearly contest Volnaye Slova (Free Word) was founded in 2007. The jury of the contest are Andrei Aliaksandrau, Anzhela Belush, Anatol Huliayeu, Maxim Zhbankou, Yuras' Karmanau, Andrei Skurko, Aliaksandr Starykevich.