Tolerance

On November the 16^th, in the theatre center “Na Strastnom” the Guild of interethnic journalism summed up the Second All-Russian competition “SMIrotvorjets-2009”. This is another reason to think about the role of the media in the fight against xenophobia and nationalism.

This competition is about the best coverage of themes of interethnic interaction of the peoples of Russia and their ethno-cultural development. It is supported by the Ministry for Regional Development of the Russian Federation.

From more than two and a half thousand entries to the competition the jury chose 36. The winners in the categories “Federal and regional media” and “Ethnic media” (television, radio, print, internet, children and youth media) was handed the symbol of the competition: a golden sun with a friendly round dance. For the second and the third place were given pretty diplomas. This time, the portal Interethnic.org was not among the winners (remember, last year it won the second place in the category “Ethnic media. Internet”).

The leader of the federal national-cultural autonomy of Tatars Ildar Gilmutdinov made a very important point: "To preserve your culture and traditions is possible only when you respect other cultures and help them."

The main prize in the category “Ethnic media. Radio” received the radio-journal “Ethnoworld” of the TV-Radio company “Bashkortostan”, city of Ufa. “The world is surprisingly diverse, we see that almost every day”, said the author and leader of the program Tatiana Nikitina. “We are interested in each other, because in the heart of each of us is a miniature portrait of its people”.

The winners emphasized that the journalistic competition has become increasingly important, because the media strongly influence the mass consciousness, and often, this negative impact leads to ethnic conflicts. It is therefore important to encourage those who talk about national diversity and the richness of our country.

Federal media must be especially careful to monitor their materials, subjects and programs, and to suggest ways of solving problems, because they largely form the attitude of contemporary Russians towards "otherness". In this context, it is especially important that children media follow this policy. As, for example, the television channel “Bibligon” with the cycle program “Visiting the father of the local history”. In addition, small newspapers in some parts of our country are the only way to pass the issue of the language and culture of small people.

Of course, journalists who are engaged with the subject of interethnic interaction are not doing that for prizes and gifts, but it is still encouraging to give them the feeling that their work is important for the State. And the fact remains, that the auditorium likes that material, as the mass of requests to extend the rubrics and headings covering different national cultures tells.

Polina Mjakinchenko