Moscow, September 2, 2026 — On September 2, a press conference dedicated to the V International Media Award “Honest View” was held in Moscow. The event, organized by Rossotrudnichestvo (the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation), brought together leading journalists, media experts, and diplomats to discuss the state of professional journalism amid global information confrontation.
The press conference was attended by correspondents of the online publication “Posolskaya Zhizn” (Embassy Life) — Tatyana Vladimirovna Zelenchenkova and Nadezhda Petrovna Lebedeva. The editorial board of “Posolskaya Zhizn” considers such media awards to be highly important and necessary: they support objectivity in covering international cooperation and provide a platform for dialogue among professionals from different countries. The presence of the publication’s representatives once again underscored the significance of this platform for the professional community.
Speakers and Agenda
The press conference was moderated by journalist Nada Fridrikhson, Editor-in-Chief of the publication “REPORTERS”.
The speakers included both Russian and international media professionals:
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Alexandra Kiknadze, Head of the Information Policy Department of Rossotrudnichestvo, spoke about the history and objectives of the award, which for the fifth time brings together authors covering cultural, humanitarian, and economic cooperation between Russia and other countries.
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Irada Zeinalova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Mauritius, emphasized the role of journalism in shaping an objective image of Russia abroad.
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Oleg Dmitriev, Deputy Director of the Institute of Media at the Faculty of Creative Industries of the National Research University “Higher School of Economics,” offered an analytical perspective on the transformation of the media space and professional standards.
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Jiří Just, correspondent for the Czech newspaper “Lidové noviny,” shared his experience as a European journalist working under information pressure.
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Daria Zhelnovod, Head of Internet Projects at RT, spoke about digital formats for promoting objective information.
Foreign colleagues joined the participants via video link:
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Tigran Kocharyan, Editor-in-Chief of the Armenian publication Alpha News and media expert;
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Iya Danelia, host of the program “Real Accents” on the Georgian television channel Georgian Times;
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Valentina Korolyak, announcer and former Editor-in-Chief of GRT TV (Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit, Moldova).
Information Campaign Against Russia
The central topic of discussion was the information campaign against Russia in foreign media. The speakers agreed that objective journalism remains one of the few tools capable of countering stereotypes and bias in coverage of Russian reality.
Irada Zeinalova noted that diplomatic efforts must be backed by high-quality media work, and that the “Honest View” award helps identify and support those who report on Russia honestly and without clichés.
Tigran Kocharyan and Iya Danelia, speaking via video link, provided examples from their own countries, showing how local media face pressure when attempting to present a balanced picture of events. Valentina Korolyak spoke about the specifics of working in Gagauzia, where the issue of information balance is particularly acute.
About the Award
The International Media Award “Honest View” has been organized by Rossotrudnichestvo for the fifth time. The competition supports the best information projects of foreign media, as well as journalists, authors, and bloggers who cover cultural, humanitarian, and economic cooperation between Russia and other countries.
Foreign media outlets, independent journalists, authors, and bloggers are invited to participate. The deadline for applications is October 4, 2026.
Organizer: Rossotrudnichestvo.
For accreditation and more information, please visit the press center’s website.
