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COMPETITION “REPORTERS OF HOPE IN UKRAINE”

Submitted by svit on Wed, 2010-04-28 19:46
In May of this year, the Institute of Ecumenical Studies held the competition, “Reporters of Hope in Ukraine” – the competition was for journalists who are ready to bring evidence of hope to Ukrainian media through the power of the pen and the word and thus to conquer the atmosphere of despair, weakness, and apathy.

Reporters of Hope in Ukraine is a competition of the best article, news report, or visual program that proposes the best solution to social problems. For participants within this competition, the aim of journalism is not only to inform the public of important issues of modern society but also to give news concrete answers and to show the ways of solving problems as well as encouraging people to be active in solving those problems.

The competition was based on an example of a similar project that has already been successful for five years in France. (www.reportersdespoirs.org).

In Ukraine, the students of the Master’s program of Ecumenical Studies of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies at the Ukrainian Catholic University and L’viv National University of Ivan Franko worked on the project.

The task of the competition was to encourage journalists to write engaging material that would not only inform the public of problems, but offer methods of solution. Moreover, the aim of the projects were to stimulate every Ukrainian reader, listener, and viewer not to be a passive consumer, but to have influence on the information space by addressing the dissemination of information from mass media, and giving their perspectives on such topics.

In all, 714 projects appeared in the competition. These projects were based on materials from all over Ukraine and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The topics of these journalistic projects were diverse: ecology, healthcare, politics, economy, culture, society, and religion. Here we find a number of propositions of how to overcome the crisis and also ideas of the improvement of the economical, ecological, and social situation of the country. These materials included some stories about disabled persons who, despite their limitations, live a full and dignified life as well as other inspiring stories.

The materials of the competition will be assessed by an expert jury, which will consist of famous Ukrainian journalists.

On the 27th of May, 2009, the winners of the first Ukrainian competition of “Reporters of Hope in Ukraine” were awarded with diplomas and gifts. These nine authors took the first, second, and third places in three categories: television, radio, and publication (print and internet). The diplomas of the competition were also given to the other authors and producers of the final projects.