Essay by Media University professor nominated for European Press Prize

Last year, an article by Media University professor Dr. Katja Artsiomenka (Department of Journalism and Communication) about the situation of the brutally oppressed Belarusian population and journalistic work in and about Belarus since the presidential election in August 2020 was published on ZEIT ONLINE. In her text entitled “Belarus and the Ukraine War: The Experience of Powerlessness Changes Everything,” she addresses the West‘s policy toward the Lukashenko regime and the discourse about the political situation in Belarus in the German (media) public sphere, having re-emerged as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
At the end of April, the nominations for the European Press Prize 2023 were announced at the 17th International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy. The contribution of Prof. Artsiomenka, who teaches in the B.A. Journalism and Corporate Communications and M.A. Digital Journalism programs at Media University, was included in the shortlist for the Public Discourse Award 2023. The five award categories each carry prize money of 10,000 euros.

The article by Prof. Dr. Katja Artsiomenka can be read in the original at www.zeit.de/kultur/2022-04/belarus-ukraine-alexander-lukaschenko-diktaturen-10nach8 and in English at

https://www.europeanpressprize.com/article/the-experience-of-powerlessness-changes-everything/

Recently, another article by the Media University professor appeared on ZEIT Online: In her text titled “Nothing more than collateral damage” she again refers to the repressive measures of Lukashenko against the Belarusian population and the restrained reactions of the EU as well as the public in view of Belarus’ meaning for Putin. Belarusians disappear “behind bars or in exile” also, she writes, because we don’t care enough.