The Honored Journalist (also translated as The Merited Journalist of Ukraine, uk, Заслужений журналіст України) is an honorary title bestowed by

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

(before 1991 by the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or SSR) for "vital contribution" in the country's

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...

. The title is awarded by the

President of Ukraine The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...

and accompanied by a

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

badge A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and ...

History

The honorary title was established by the Supreme Soviet of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

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

Lithuanian SSR The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; lt, Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika; russian: Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика, Litovskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialistiche ...

, the

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц� ...

, and the Armenian SSR) had already established such an award, whereas the

Russian SSR Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries * Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and pe ...

hadn't done so until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 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

inherited from the Ukrainian SSR. Since July 1994, the recipients of the title also receive a

. The first design of the badge, awarded from July 1994 to June 2001, was a image of a woman's head, wearing a

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a circle . In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and Chri ...

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

for a candidate's "vital contribution" to Ukraine journalism. The award is accompanied by a

. In the case of Ukrainian candidates, recipients are chosen by the

Office of the President of Ukraine The Office of the President of Ukraine ('' uk, Офіс Президента України'') (formerly ''Administration of the President of Ukraine'', uk, Адміністрація Президента) is a standing advisory body set up by ...

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 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine ( uk, Міністерство закордонних справ України) is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is th ...

Notable recipients

* Oleksandr Abdullin * Hanna Bezliudna *

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

References

Literature cited

External links