Representatives of the media of South Ossetia took part in the third media Forum "Pro Kavkaz" in Vladikavkaz, which was held on November 13-14.
The main theme of this year's event was "Transformation: challenges and opportunities".
The Forum brought together more than 400 representatives of the media sphere from all regions of the North Caucasus Federal District and South Ossetia.
Lectures were organized for journalists and bloggers, press services of state and commercial organizations on the topics: “The US presidential elections and their geopolitical impact on Russia, the Middle East, Asia and Africa” (speaker: international journalist, orientalist and Africanist Tural Elman Kerimov), “Containment of Russia: why sanctions were and are being introduced against Russia” (speaker: human rights activist, public figure, politician and member of the Hamburg Landtag Olga Petersen), “Geopolitical transformations in the world after the end of the Cold War and possible future prospects” (speaker: political scientist Alexander Khramchikhin), and others,.
During the plenary session of the Forum, the head of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Sergey Menyailo said that today a major information war had been unleashed against Russia.
“Military actions are taking place not only on the line of combat contact, but also in the media sphere. More than 50 percent of the GDP of the entire of the world," the head of the republic said.
Menyailo has noted that the blogosphere today occupies a large part of the media space.
"The information field needs to be filled, if we do not do this, someone else will fill it, our enemies, for example," he has emphasized.
The participants of the event were given the opportunity to talk with Russian theater and film actor Mikhail Porechenkov, well-known journalists Igor Prokopenko, Alexander Sladkov, Alexey Sochnev, Dmitry Shchugorev, Alexander Smol and others.
Master classes on the following topics were organized: "That's the news! We are learning how to submit information guides on TV and on social networks", "How to turn a person into an "editorial office" "Online journalism 2025: time to explain what is happening and the subjective view of an eyewitness", etc.
In a conversation with journalists, Deputy Director General for documentary and journalistic projects of the REN TV channel Igor Prokopenko spoke about how his colleagues, especially women, were absorbed in their work.
“But if you cannot live without journalism, if your heart beats when you see your name under a publication, then you have chosen the right profession,” Prokopenko has emphasized. “There is no greater happiness than doing what you love.”
A politician and member of the Hamburg Landtag Olga Petersen called on the colleagues to beware of sensational headlines.
“Headlines promising a sensation are often used to draw attention to fake news,” the speaker has noted. - Many of them are based on old - real events, rethought and presented in a new, distorted light. Therefore, check the date of publication of the source."
During a conversation with journalists from South Ossetia, Russian war correspondent Alexander Sladkov promised to visit the Republic.
"This is an amazing region with unique nature, which, as it seems to me, forms the special character of its inhabitants. These are people accustomed to risk, daring and courageous," Sladkov emphasized.
He also noted the courage and bravery of the Ossetian fighters who are in the special military operation zone. "The Ossetian fighters whom I meet in the special military operation zone, are real heroes, it is always safe and comfortable with them," the correspondent has noted.
The final chord of the Forum was a meeting between the head of the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania Sergey Menyailo and representatives of the media community, who asked the leader of the republic the questions of interest to them. They concerned the transformation of the information space, the use of artificial intelligence, the socio-economic development of the republic, etc.
According to Menyailo, peoples living on the territory of Russia should not separate themselves from the great motherland of Russia.
“In the media space, when someone says that he is a citizen of the Republic of North Ossetia, and someone says that I am a citizen of the Chechen Republic, this is not right. We are all citizens of Russia. With such statements, we show external observers that we are not united... Whenever I go to the front, I always have a Russian flag with me, the letter Z, the Ossetian flag,” the head of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania said.
Following the meeting, Sergei Menyailo has noted that the conversation was lively, not protocol-based, for which he expressed gratitude to the participants.
“The most valuable thing in such meetings is sincerity, the opportunity to say what is truly important, and in the way you think is necessary, without fear of being misunderstood. This indicates a high degree of trust that we have with the media community," the leader of North Ossetia noted.
As noted by Diana Kabanova, a correspondent for the state newspaper “South Ossetia,”, the Forum has become a valuable communication and educational platform for journalists.
"We were told about modern digital formats, new media trends and tools for working with the audience were discussed. The experience gained will undoubtedly be a good help for us in our work. It is gratifying that there is the opportunity to meet with colleagues at such necessary and important venues, to exchange experience and information," the journalist said.
"PRO Caucasus" is the interregional communication and educational platform for journalists, bloggers, and PR specialists, aimed at adapting media to modern digital formats, new media ecosystems, maintaining and increasing the audience, improving media technologies. The goal of the Forum is to unite the region's media community to form a positive information space.
