The two-day program of the event “Srđan Aleksić Days” in Novi Sad has ended, and we would like to remind you that Teofil Pančić, Vanja Stokić, Ajdin Kamber, portal 021 and posthumously Bojan Tončić are this year’s winners of the regional journalist award “Srđan Aleksić”.
The award ceremony was organized on December 14.
Teofil Pančić from Novi Sad received the award in the category “For Courage”, Vanja Stokić and Ajdin Kamber from Banja Luka in the category “For Contribution to the Community”, Novi Sad portal 021 in the category “For the Media” and posthumously Bojan Tončić from Belgrade was the winner of the Special Plaque for long-term professional engagement, it was announced at the ceremony at the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (IJAV) in Novi Sad.
“Through his texts and overall public engagement, Teofil consistently promotes the values of humanism, humanity, solidarity, an open society, cultural and intellectual development in an innovative, highly intellectual, but concise manner”, the jury stated in its explanation.
The jury’s explanation for giving the award to Vanja Stokić and Ajdin Kamber, from the eTrafika portal in Banja Luka, emphasizes that they have succeeded in an extraordinary way in “creating a disturbing testimony and faithfully portraying the suffering of migrants.”
It also emphasizes: “The nominated articles present the migrant story to readers and viewers from the personal perspective of people on the move, directly and disturbingly drawing attention to the cruel, uncertain and dangerous struggle for survival of people who are trying by all means to gain a chance for a decent life”.
The explanation of the award “For the Media”, which was given to the portal 021 from Novi Sad, emphasizes that this media outlet, despite all the difficulties, managed to resist media estradeization and remained independent and professional in its long-standing work.
“This is a very high-quality media outlet that covers a wide range of topics. In the general commercialization, they found a space where dominated stories about people and their everyday problems”, stated the jury.
Zoran Strika, editor-in-chief of the portal 021.rs, congratulated all this year’s winners and thanked the jury members for recognizing the editorial team’s efforts to make their community better through quality information.
“We dedicate the award to all those who followed in the footsteps of Srđan Aleksić. To all those who care about the people around them, who care about their community and who care about the future of that community. We dedicate the award to all those who walk with their heads held high, who do not accept lies, violence, rudeness and lack of empathy as the reality to which they are forced to live in. We dedicate the award to all those who, with their courage, youth, experience and intelligence, show that this society has not completely failed and that it can be better”, said Strika after the award ceremony.
A special plaque was awarded to the recently deceased journalist Bojan Tončić for his exceptional dedication to the profession of journalism.
“His long-term work in promoting human rights, fighting against political arbitrariness and consistent advocacy for reconciliation, which must be preceded by the punishment of war criminals, left a deep journalistic mark on this region”, the explanatory note reads.
This year’s competition received 32 nominations for 27 journalists and five media outlets, which were decided by a jury consisting of: Ana Hegediš Lalić and Tamara Skrozza (Serbia), Boris Pavelić (Croatia), Vladan Mićunović (Montenegro) and Borislav Kontić (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Jury member Vladan Mićunović supported, on behalf of the jury, the student and civic protests in Novi Sad, Vojvodina and Serbia and wished them to “remain on the path of struggle against autocratic and corrupt authorities”.
“The students are teaching us a lesson and showing that the most important thing is to be honorable, courageous and in solidarity”, said Mićunović.
President of Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (IJAV) Ana Lalić said that she was sure that Srđan Aleksić would be proud of Novi Sad today, because it is the center of student and civic resistance in the entire region.
The Journalist Award is announced by the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Banja Luka, the Network for Building Peace, IJAV, the Montenegro Media Institute and the Association for the Promotion of Media Culture, Art and Tolerance “Lupiga – the World Through Ordinary Eyes” from Croatia.
The program of the two-day event “Srđan Aleksić Days” in Novi Sad began on Saturday with the laying of flowers in the Srđan Aleksić Passage in the center of Novi Sad.
Then the photo exhibition “House for Sale”, authored by Imre Sabo, was opened.
A youth tribune was held on the topic “These Are Our Heroes – Real Heroes”, followed by a screening of the documentary “Heroes of the Battle for the Wounded” by Aleksandar Reljić, and a performance by the Pop Choir from Novi Sad.
On Sunday, the Living Library was held.
This was followed by a tribune in memory of the recently deceased journalist Bojan Tončić, and a screening of the short film “Milena” by director Željko Stanetić.
The program ended with a tribune “Religion and Populism”, which also promoted Branko Sekulić’s book “Penetration into the Heart of Sacralized Crime”.
Text sources: Autonomija, Portal 021
Photos: Autonomija, HCA BL
