The first international conference of CIS countries and
Baltia “The World of News” terminated its work in Moscow;
within its frameworks there were held also the all-Russian
contest of informational programs “Local Time” and the International
competition of reports “Events and Characters”.
In the opinion of both its participants and organizers this
peculiar forum of telejournalists has become the event of
genuinely historic slant, a remarkable assembly not only
for every telestudio represented at the competitions, but
for all TV journalists over the post-Soviet space. Still
the majority of them seem to have been quite recently united
in one system - Stateteleradio of the USSR - not without
pride calling themselves to be the citizens of one vast
country - the Soviet Union. A little bit more than a decade
passed. But we have endured a lot throughout these years.
The wide range beginning with complete reluctance towards
the former neighbor and full negation of even positive moments
from our common history and ending with successful and unsuccessful
attempts to find that new thing which would assist in mutual
understanding and collaboration of our peoples in the changing
global world. In other words, “The World of News” conference
can be called a starting point of the professional amalgamation
of telejournalists working in informational programs. And
it is fairly in order that during conversations and debates
the participants came to the conclusion that though CIS
countries are sustaining complicated stages of its development
in the transitional period the problems beset with freedom
of world and publicity worry everybody. And another coincidence
is not occasional at all - the announcement of Russian telechannel
“TVS” closure sounded as an alarming toll in the days of
the conference. I.e. even this channel turned into a political
tool of state structures…
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Members of the jury of the
international competition “Events and Characters”,
Moscow, June 17-22, 2003
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In the opinion of the participants of the conference, it
is difficult to speak about objectivity, impartiality, authenticity
of informational programs of the telechannels of this country
against such background. This very fact became the main
theme of the discussion conducted by the professional workers
of news service on whose quality of work the creation of
a civic society in Russia and other former post-Soviet countries
depends. But whatever they may say, today the Russian Federation
in distinction to other CIS counties was and is a mighty
informational power. Two national channels - “The First
Channel” and “Russia” comprising 98% of the country’s population
telecast in the state and outside it; the third national
channel - that of NTV (independent television) embraces
70%. Moscow telecasts from “Culture” channel, television
circuits - RenTV, STS, TNT, TV-Center, TVS, DTV; specialized
channels - MTV, Mus-TV, TV-3, 7TV, Euronews (in Russian),
Rambler-Telecircuit, School Pupil-TV, sputnik TV - “NTV”
and “Cosmos TV”. Over 1000 state and private companies preparing
news issues. In Ukraine 840 companies work for 48 million
population; about 70% issuing news. In Azerbaijan (8200000
people) 16 telecompanies function; three being statal; meanwhile
in neighboring Kyrgyzstan 10 private channels telecast for
5 million inhabitants. It is not difficult to imagine how
many prepared plots were presented at the competition and
on what level they were done.
The jury was to see over 300 reports submitted. Only to
see - it is easy and simply, to say. We had to attentively
follow the observance of the terms of the competition: when
defining winners and denominants we paid attention, first
of all, to actuality of a theme; interaction between text
and depiction, balance in elucidation where the jury qualified
the presence of different points of view in the report,
impartial position of a journalist; observance of ethnical
norms, creative approach towards elaboration of the theme
- strong outset, inner dramaturgy, absence of cliches on
video and text, cameraman’s work; montage specialist’s work;
text of the report; personification - presence of a protagonist,
journalists’ skills in presenting him/her; stand-up - propriety
of the fragments “journalist in a frame”; significant background
of these fragments.
And it is not fortuitous, in my opinion, that the materials
presented by Russian telecompanies responded more to these
parameters. It is due to relatively good logistic base and
high professional level of news service workers that out
of six denominations of the international competition “Events
and Characters” five main prizes went to Russian telejournalists:
“Today it is News. Tomorrow it is History” (eventful
report lasting three minutes) - report “Passport Reform
and Homeless People”, authors” Vadim Kuznetsov, Mikhail
Logvinenko; telecompany “City”, Itkutsk, Russia;
“Let us Speak about Life” (problematic report on
social theme - lasting within five minutes) - report “Cruel
Treatment with Children”, authors: Yekaterina Shendrik,
Konstantin Shelyapin, Adnrey Kolesnyak; Information Service
“TV-Inform”, Telecompany ATV, Stavropol, Russia;
“Simply about the Complex” (problematic report on
economy theme - within 5 minutes) - report “How to Count
Warmth”, authors: M. Voronin, O. Mutovkin, G. Goryunov,
V. Protopopov; telecompany “TV-2”, Tomsk. Russia;
“Man in Action” (portrait of contemporary, portrait
of fortunate laborer - within 5 minutes) - report “Handless
Driver”, authors: Irina Plotnikova, Roza Gazaliyeva, Maxim
Mineyev, telecompany “Air”, Kazan, Russia;
“Journalistic Investigation” (within 10 minutes)
- investigation “Cotton Money”, author: Vyacheslav Nikolayev,
telecompany “TV-2”, Tomsk, Russia.
In the denomination “Plot about Power” (problematic
report on political theme - within 5 minutes) - no main
prize was conferred by the jury.
