Novomedia Association recognized fellow journalists whose dedicated work promotes eternal values. Nine editorial offices and media professionals received Novomedia Awards statuettes. 

The design of the award symbolizes modern urban life. Next to a skyscraper you can see a family, and a TV tower neighbors with a church building. Novomedia President Ruslan Kukharchuk noted in his speech that this statuette was the Association’s gratitude to the colleagues for their contribution in the coverage of timeless values.

"Novomedia Awards Ceremony is a "thank you" to our fellow journalists who promote eternal values or demonstrate these values in the work they do, which by most audiences is perceived as a quite natural thing to do," Novomedia President said.

The winners were awarded in two categories. One of them was “Systematic Coverage of Eternal Values” and another one was “Responsible Journalism.” These two awards were granted for professional delivery of the content that highlights the values of Christianity, ethics, and family. For the past year, Monitoring Committee had been tracking publications in the printed media and the Internet, as well as radio and TV programs. Journalists were also encouraged to submit materials to the Monitoring Committee at their own initiative.

"Very often people watch the news and say that they seem like a horror movie, so it might be better to avoid watching news programs in general. With this in mind, we want to encourage the emergence of the new media able to create positive stories aimed at building up the society and establishing eternal Christian values," explained Yuliya Solokha, the Head of Novomedia Awards Monitoring Committee.

Several programs of the Ukrainian radio station "Culture" received recognition. One of the radio’s journalists and presenters Natalia Dzhura said that the award was quite unexpected but much appreciated. She admitted that the projects were easy to work with, because faith was an integral part of her life. “I am from Western Ukraine and I grew up in a religious family. Faith for me is, frankly speaking, an integral part of life, and it is not only about going to church on Saturdays and Sundays for a worship service," she shared with the audience at the ceremony.

Newspaper "Today" was another awardee. This publication published a number of sermons of Archpriest Andrey Tkachev. According to the deputy editor Stanislaw Shkapa, the issue of religion is very important, because there is a lot of tension in the modern society, and faith helps to alleviate it. The editor explained: "The subject of Christianity provides an invaluable alternative to sensations, scandals, negative news, which are widely covered in the media and are difficult to escape from."

The winners were awarded with diplomas and statuettes by well known public figures. Among them were swimmer Denis Silantiev, actor Vitaliy Borysyuk, singer Zlata Oginyevich, pastor Anatoliy Gluhovskiy, journalist Victor Nabrusko, authorized representative of the President of Ukraine Yuriy Pavlenko, journalist Ruslan Kukharchuk, and public activist Timofey Nagorniy.

Timofey Nagorniy admitted, “Faith without action is dead. I believe Novomedia Awards ceremony is very important because people in this country trust journalists more than they trust the government or the opposition, the church or the people in the uniform. Journalists can not only bring the necessary dynamics to the existing social attitudes, but they can also impact personal decisions of the Ukrainian people in their spiritual lives."

Another distinguished awardee was television program “Details” (“Podrobnosti”), “Inter” TV channel. Deputy Director for Creative Programs at "Inter" Alexander Pylypec is convinced that the most important thing about a journalist’s work is to serve eternal values. In his speech, he argued, "In any debate on the standards of journalism, journalist’s ethics, there is one thing I want to emphasize: friends, who said that the holy commandments were cancelled and the religion has gone into oblivion? Who said that the soul weighs nothing and journalism exists only for the sake of ratings? I believe that every person and every soul should be the house where love lives and where God dwells."

Novomedia Awards ceremony has become an annual event. The organizing committee invites journalists and editorial offices to submit their materials for review. The selection process for 2014 award has already started.

The full list of winners and public figures awarding them is here.