The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan (UJK) celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and numbers 5,000 members. Our organization is independent, non-governmental, public and operates on the basis of its Charter. The Union has branches in all 15 regions of the country.
Every year our organization holds creative contests for all the country’s media, the regional branches hold their own contests as well. Laureates are awarded cash prizes, diplomas and valuable gifts. The award ceremony is held annually on the eve of Information Workers Day on June 28th. On the same day, veterans who have worked in journalism for all their lives, have achieved great professional success and are retired are awarded. These are, as a rule, people who have reached 60-80 years of age, and they are awarded the title “Honorary Journalist of the Republic of Kazakhstan”, a gold medal and a certificate. In all areas of the country, solemn meetings, concerts and honors of laureates of the contests and labor veterans are held.
This year, about a hundred people participated in the republican competition, about 500 materials from printed, radio and television programs in the Russian and Kazakh languages and photographs were submitted. All of them were published on the Facebook page and on the website of the Union of Journalists, so that everyone could get acquainted with them. The jury members are 10 people – the chief editors of television, radio, newspapers, highly professional journalists. All of them are from different region. Each year, the panel of the jury changes, and its members do not know each other so they cannot arrange the reluts, that ensures the credibility of the contest.
Besides, every year on the eve of the professional holiday – Journalism Day, sporting competitions in tennis, chess, futsal, volleyball and other sports are held in each region. Winners are also awarded valuable gifts.
The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan, together with other public organizations, participates in legislative activity together with ministries, departments and non-governmental organizations: initiates amendments to the law on the media and advocates freedom of speech and observance of other democratic principles.The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan is actively collaborating with its colleagues from around the world. In 2019, employees of the UJK central office participated in events organized by the Unions of Journalists of Belarus, Russia, China and the Republic of Korea. This year, Kazakhstani journalists will also participate in the media forums of Mongolia and China.This spring, a delegation of journalists from the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia (Russia) visited our country. Within 10 days, 25 journalists traveled to Astana, Shymkent, Otrar, Turkestan and Almaty, visited theaters, museums, art galleries, factories and educational institutions.This year, a meeting of a delegation of journalists from Mongolia and the signing of a memorandum of friendship and cooperation are also expected. This year it is planned to hold a round table and a solemn meeting dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan to sum up the results of activity and to discuss plans for further work.