The Honored Journalist (also translated as The Merited Journalist of Ukraine, uk, Заслужений журналіст України) is an honorary title bestowed by Ukraine (before 1991 by the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or SSR) for "vital contribution" in the country's journalism. The title is awarded by the President of Ukraine and accompanied by a silver badge.

History

The honorary title was established by the

Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet (russian: Верховный Совет, Verkhovny Sovet, Supreme Council) was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ...

of the Ukrainian SSR on May 7, 1981. By that time, four republics of the former USSR (the

Estonian SSR The Estonian SSR,, russian: Эстонская ССР officially the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic,, russian: Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика was an ethnically based adminis ...

, the Lithuanian SSR, the Georgian SSR, and the

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

) had already established such an award, whereas the Russian SSR hadn't done so until the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

. From its inception in 1981, the title required a recipient to have worked in the field of journalism for at least ten years. Originally, a recipient also had to be a member of the "Union of Journalists" of the Ukrainian SSR. After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, ''Merited Journalist of Ukraine'' was one of 29 honorary titles that newly independent Ukraine inherited from the Ukrainian SSR. Since July 1994, the recipients of the title also receive a silver badge. The first design of the badge, awarded from July 1994 to June 2001, was a image of a woman's head, wearing a wreath composed of ears of wheat. In June 2001, the silver badge was redesigned to its present form and enlarged to ; in 2007, the badge was further enlarged to its present size.

Prerequisites and procedure

As of 2020, the honorary title is awarded in accordance with the ''Law of Ukraine Regarding the State Awards of Ukraine'' and the ''Decree of the President of Ukraine Regarding Honorary Titles of Ukraine''. Recipients of the title must have at least ten years' experience in journalism and have a college degree. The decoration is awarded by the President of Ukraine for a candidate's "vital contribution" to Ukraine journalism. The award is accompanied by a silver badge. In the case of Ukrainian candidates, recipients are chosen by the Office of the President of Ukraine from lists of journalists submitted by editorial staff of non-profit and commercial media organizations. Then the lists are sanctioned by municipal and regional governments and/or various bodies of the executive or judicial branches. For non-Ukrainian citizens seeking the award, submissions come from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Notable recipients

Oleksandr Abdullin Oleksandr Rafkatovych Abdullin ( uk, Олекса́ндр Рафка́тович Абду́ллін, born June 29, 1962 in Kyiv) is a Ukrainian journalist and politician. Positions and places of work * 1979–1981 – turner at "Tochelektropry ...

Hanna Bezliudna Hanna Vitaliyivna Bezliudna ( uk, Ганна Віталіївна Безлюдна, born on 15 July 1972) is a Ukrainian media manager, producer, and public figure. Starting from 2013 – Head of Inter Media Group, Member of the Supervisory Board ...

Boris Lozhkin Boris Yevhenovych Lozhkin ( uk, link=no, Борис Євгенович Ложкін; born on October 23, 1971, in Kharkiv, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian businessperson and philanthropist. He is the President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, Vic ...

Igor Piddubny Igor Piddubny (also spelled Poddubny; uk, Ігор Миколайович Піддубний; born June 18, 1965) is a Ukrainian journalist, media manager, politician, and film director known for a number of documentaries that covered controver ...

Savik Shuster Savik Shuster (russian: link=no, Са́вик Шу́стер, uk, Са́вік Шу́стер, born Ševelis Šusteris; November 22, 1952 in Vilnius) is a journalist and Ukrainian political TV shows anchor. He presented ''The Freedom By Savi ...

References

Literature cited

External links