The forum themed «Media Environment Today: Meanings or White Noise» will be running in Grodno on 14 and 15 May. The city on the Neman River will also host the awards ceremony for the winners of the Zolotaya Litera (Golden Letter) competition.
The forum will bring together more than 700 participants, including representatives of state-run media and the ideological vertical, bloggers, aspiring journalists, and leading experts in media communications. Participants will discuss the challenges facing modern journalism, priorities for media sector development, information security, and the transformation of media resources.
Today, on the first day of the forum, an open dialogue will take place between Information Minister Dmitry Zhuk and students and faculty of the Journalism Department at Yanka Kupala State University. Meanwhile, delegations from all regions of the country will visit leading industrial enterprises of Grodno Oblast and explore the region’s historical and cultural heritage.
On 15 May, a flower-laying ceremony will be held at the Eternal Flame in Gilibert Park. Forum participants will honor the memory of those who perished during the Great Patriotic War.
The main venue for the second day will be the Grodno Regional Philharmonic. Events there will include the exhibition «Women in Journalism: An Unusual Perspective,» a solo exhibition by BelTA photojournalist Sergei Kholodilin titled «Through the Lens: On Time and People,» as well as a book exhibition-sale called «Journalists Write Books.» There will also be presentations by the TV and radio companies Grodno, Grodno Plus, Lida Media Company, and the editorial board of the Grodzenskaya Prauda newspaper on the theme «Artificial Intelligence in Regional Journalism: A New Reality.»
At 11:00 a.m., the plenary session of the media forum will begin. Leading experts from across the country will raise issues that will shape the future of Belarusian journalism: how not to drown in information noise while preserving meanings, why state media remain the primary source of reliable information for millions of Belarusians, and what challenges the media face today in an era of blockages, fake news, and the dictatorship of algorithms. Discussions will also cover how to turn a regional newspaper into a living, in-demand product, and how modern technology can help convey historical truth and foster patriotism among young people. As organizers emphasize, the debate promises to be lively. The session will culminate in an open microphone, allowing anyone who wishes to take the floor.
Following the plenary session, the main event of the day will unfold: the presentation of awards and diplomas to the winners and laureates of the 22nd edition of the Zolotaya Litera (Golden Letter) competition. A total of 486 entries were submitted for the annual competition, which aims to promote print media, news agencies, and online publications, raise the professional level of journalists, and foster creativity. Awards will be presented in 27 categories, with 75 laureates and winners receiving honors.
The media forum is organized by the Information Ministry and the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee.
