The Ivano-Frankivsk Journalists’ Solidarity Center hosts a ceremony of awarding special honors to three Carpathian media persons within the framework of the creative competition entitled Information Front 2022 organized by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU).
This follows from a statement by the regional organization of the NUJU.
The creative competition started on October 14 and lasted until November 20, 2022. The competition experts considered materials that highlighted the efforts of peaceful Ukrainians to help victims of the war: reception of forced migrants, protection of the civilian population, medical and moral and psychological assistance to war victims, stories of successful relocation of businesses and of businesses that resumed work in the liberated territories, socially significant initiatives in the fields of education and preservation of cultural heritage, etc.
Journalists from Ivano-Frankivsk also took part in the event, three of them received special awards in the nomination Best Journalistic Work:
– Yuliya Yuzkiv for her TV story called Country for a Smell. Kolomyia and its New Inhabitants;
– Tetiana Zelinska for her article called Unusual Menu, Kherson Coffee and Branded Cups: How to Restart Business in Ivano-Frankivsk – a Story by a Couple of Immigrants;
– Vitalii Chornenkyi for his story called Hostomel, Bucha and Irpin through the Eyes of Ivano-Frankivsk Journalists.
The award-winning media people willingly shared information about their participation in the competition and their self-establishment in journalism with the students of the School of Journalism of the Regional Union of Journalists.
“A team of three colleagues worked on the plot of the TV story Country on a Smell. Kolomyia and its New Residents,” says Yuliya Yuzkiv, a deputy director general of Halychyna regional TV channel. “They were co-host Oksana Lisovska, cameramen Vitalii Yakoviyak and Ostap Vereshchuk. The video work was prepared for the program called Country by Smell, which has been aired on our TV channel for more than ten years. The goal of the show lies in blindfolding one of the presenters to let guess where she is by smell. When full-scale war broke out, we weren’t sure if we should do any entertainment programs. However, after six months, they realized that it is worth showing people optimistic things. Since October, we have filmed six or seven episodes about relocated businesses and public initiatives.”
Tetiana Zelinska, a journalist of the online media Halka, submitted an article to the competition about immigrants who opened a coffee shop in Ivano-Frankivsk. It started with a sign announcing a planned opening. The journalist observed the future institution from time to time, and after its opening, she often visited the place herself.
“At first, I went there for coffee, and when we got to know each other, I offered to write an article about the owners. They talked about how the war started in Kherson, how they came here and how they realize themselves here. After that, we developed a very friendly relationship. Therefore, journalism is not only about work, but also about good acquaintances,” says Tetiana.
Almost from the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, Vitalii Chornenkyi, the editor-in-chief of the online media Holos-Info and the newspaper Holos-Inform, as well as cameraman Mykhailo Seniv began to document Russia’s crimes in Ukraine. During the year of work, they have made a dozen trips to the front line and to the de-occupied territories. The honored work called Hostomel, Bucha and Irpin through the Eyes of Ivano-Frankivsk Journalists became extremely difficult for the film crew, because they visited the Kyiv Region in the first days after the de-occupation.
“I got out of the car and I had the impression that I was in a morgue. There was a heavy smell and the atmosphere was the same…” recalls Vitalii. “Thanks to the Union for organizing such a competition, and the jury for recognizing our work.”
NUJU Journalists’ Solidarity Center coordinator Viktoriya Plakhta advised students of the School of Journalism to constantly work on themselves, write and shoot, make video stories, and not miss out professional competitions: “You should always use opportunities and not be afraid to try. And your works will not stay unnoticed. You just need to believe in your own strength.”
The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers are an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists, as well as UNESCO. The initiative is designed to help media representatives working in Ukraine during the war. The JSCs operate in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and provide journalists with organizational, technical, legal, psychological and other types of assistance.
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding. It is the coordinator of the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, thus strengthening peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. UNESCO is working closely with its partner organizations in Ukraine to provide support to journalists on the ground.
The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this digest do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this digest and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.
NUJU information service
