On November, 3-4th, the Nivki-hall in Kiev hosted over 350 journalists and media workers from all over the country. The 30 speakers from all media types joined them. This is a Novomedia Forum, a large-scale platform for professional implementation, a place of assembly of the media community based on professional standards and values.

The first day

The event was opened by Ruslan Kukharchuk, the head of the organizing committee of Novomedia Forum. The essence of the intro-talk was to the main message of the event: the need for the reform of mass communication. This opinion was supported by the project coordinator Mission in the profession Denis Gorenkov. Turning to the participants of the Forum, he urged to try to return the “truth in the post-truth era.” And although “we are only small fish in the great sea of lies,” this mission, in his opinion, is quite feasible. And in the end of the opening ceremony a traditional prayer was performed, this time it was announced by the church worker from Melitopol Volodymyr Gogunsky.


Then the program was divided into sessions, which took place in two halls in parallel. The block in the main room began with the instructive history of the forum’s personality, Melissa Harrison, Managing Director of The Media Project, who previously worked as the leading NBC News. And while some of the participants were busy with her story and got acquainted with the peculiarities of work on American television, the atmosphere of the television show arose in another hall. It was created by popular TV presenter of Abzats on the Novy Channel – Alexander Dzhusupov, who conducted the master class “Television by the hands of teenagers”. The core of his enthusiastic audience was teenagers from the TV studio “33 channel” from Khmelnitsky.


The lunch break did not go away vainly. For many members it has become a great opportunity to talk with friends, as well as make new acquaintances and business contacts. A particular recovery was observed near the reception area. There was a sale of a new book by Zoya Nikitiuk “Live fly. Learning to write is simple and strange”. And there was a queue to the author for an autograph.


Backed by lunch and made a lot of selphies, the members of Forum again went to the halls. In the small room, the creator and author of The Rachinsky Report Sergei Rachinsky acquaints listeners with interesting statistics within the theme “In whose hands the future of the media”. And the head of the Supervisory Board of National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine Tetiana Lebedeva speaks of the need for more involvement in the development of public television. Indeed, this is the way to regain trust in the media, which was lost through manipulation, misunderstanding of the audience and disrespectful attitude to it.


In parallel the main precepts of the journalist are heard: love and respect yourself and the hero of the material; DO NOT manipulate; do not be indifferent and cynical. And most importantly, never “do harm”, because the word kills is not worse than a bullet. The TV presenter of “Freedom of Speech” on ICTV channel Vadim Karpyak calls for adherence to these and other journalistic standards. He is also very excited and willing to share his experience with public interviews on live broadcasts. How to prepare them qualitatively. How to be able to put “awkward” question. How to act when the person closes during an interview and how to interview children properly.

Then the podium of the big hall was “occupied” by political scientists. It was about informational security in conditions of aggression. Analyst Oleg Saakyan spoke about the need to “set the trend and shape the discourse”. Because “propaganda blurred the line between its victim and her accomplice.”

Alexey Arestovich, a political observer, was surely caught up in the relay theme. “The world is a little different,” he convinced. – Today, the ratio of military and non-military factors, primarily information, in the conduct of hostilities is 1:4. And most of the measures within the framework of the hybrid warfare look like a natural informational or life process. “In this context, it was also noted that information sabotage “is a great danger”, because without a single shot, they can achieve results at times not less than what can be done “once a great war”. Among those who listened to Alexei, was also a military journalist of the Ministry of Defense, Colonel Vyacheslav Petrovsky. This thematic session, in his acknowledgment, was the main reason for his participation in the Forum, which, by the way, he arrived directly from the antiterrorist operation zone.


A very saturated and parallel session has been released. Iryna Solomko, director of the communication direction of the mass-media, revealed the ratings of Ukrainian media resources. He also talked about how to implement the principle of “fourth power” and the media tools that can attract the audience.

And then there was something completely unusual. The words of a news journalist on the TV channel STB Iryna Zaslavets put the eyes of most of the hall on the wet spot. It was really social journalism in action. “Seven years ago I was told: “Ira, you have cancer”. But I survived, and now I help the voice of an ordinary person who has fallen into the same situation, to sound loudly, “Irina spoke senselessly. And it became for many a true favorite of the day.

Then Melissa Harrison joined the audience again, telling about the Trump conflict with the American media community. Interviewer Andriy Buzarov spoke about the situation in the Middle East.


And on the floor above at that time “lit up” youtubers. The creator of the Channel “Through” Roman Oleschuk, director of the event department of AIR Victor Afonin, head of AIRMusic Andriy Kurtov. All speakers are real “whales” of YouTube vloging. They were fascinated by various “chips” to create a successful project.
Well, the dessert of the first day became lifhaki for the writing brothers. A bit tired, but the intrigued audience went to a lecture to Vitaliy Golubev, editor in chief of the OGO. And I heard that I needed to work only on weekdays, and only from 8:00 to 18:00, devoting the rest of the days to the family and personal development.

The second day

The second day of the Novomedia Forum has not lost its pace. Early morning with Yana Kucherenko, who organized the visit of Nick Vujicic to Ukraine, began. A brand-strategist Dmitry Larin joined with her with a message about the visual image as an instrument of communications.

And on a parallel stream talked about the launch and development of an Internet newsletter. The list of ideas and a list of rules, how not to lose the “war” to social media and earn on information sites, voiced editor-in-chief “Oglyadach” Orest Sohar.


Then there were many interesting things. Special correspondent of Inter channel Inna Biletska enthusiastically told about regional journalism. Dmitry Litvinenko from STB – how to make a blockbuster from a simple news story. Tatiana Polonik, founder of LaBoussole, – how to write about travel. But especially I want to highlight a sports unit. Thanks to Slava Vardi from NewsOne, this block was especially remembered.

The fact is that Slava decided to appear before the public in an intriguing hat and a slightly dramatic image of the poet. And I began to speak not about sports specifically, if not take into account the calls for them to do all the same, and about the philosophy, so to speak, in general. And the public appreciated it. And how not to evaluate if a person is a master of sophisticated words.


After lunch, all participants of the Novomedia Forum gathered in the main hall. Lottery winners received their gifts. After that, finally, a legend appeared on the stage … BBC journalist and radio broadcaster in London. “The First Soviet DJ” and the Knight of the Order of the British Empire. Musician, charming speaker, high class professional. Titles and epithets of this person could still be continued, but he says about himself more modest: just SEVA NOVGORODTSEV.


His speech can be completely disassembled in quotations. What is worthy of only “Google”, which “harnesses us all to our cart!” Well, the stunning story of life, of course. He believes his career on BBC is a miracle. He tells of his baptism in Rome and Divine Providence in London. About work “under the angels” and receiving the order of the British Empire from the hands of the queen himself. By the way, this story is worthy of greater detail. Vsevolod Borisovich instilled it with his special, benevolent humor. The highest valor among the English intelligentsia – to abandon this award: “But I’m not so developed in a mental attitude. That is why I took that, but not personally to me, for everyone with whom we do business together “.

And when the president of the Novomedia Association, Ruslan Kukharchuk, asked the question: “How do you live with the fact that the younger generation does not feel the thirsty feelings while sounding your name?”. In response, Seva shined a self-irony and read the lines of Igor Huberman:
When the enemies are comforted by hearing
What I am buried in a tight crypt
One who believes a hundred old ladies
What was I doing magnificently?


Charismatic TV presenter Matthew Ganapolskiy has added bright colors to the Novomedia Forum. Well, and in the final there was the traditional award ceremony – Novomedia Awards. Leading Edward Glyosa and Olga Nemtseva. Nine journalists, seven editors, three nominations. The winner of Voice of the Country 4 Igor Grohotsky and Vera Kekelia, finalist of the Voice of Country 7, performed their hits. But also Seva Novgorodtsev participated here – performing the composition on the flute and the song with the guitar.


The Novomedia Forum is held annually in early November, starting in 2011. More details about the event there: http://novomediaforum.org.