Al Jazeera to Take Part in Golden Verb Journalist Competition

The Arab Al Jazeera telecompany applied to participate in the Golden Verb international competition of journalists.

Al Jazeera applied for partaking in the About Russia with Love nomination, the MediaSoyuz public organisation, which is arranging the competition, reported on Friday.

The aim of the competition is to develop professional ties between the Russian mass media industry and its foreign colleagues, as well as to support Russian journalism, Vice President of MediaSoyuz Yelena Zelinskaya said.

150 mass media agencies from CIS and non-CIS countries have applied for participation to date, Zelinskaya remarked.

The organisers make it a condition that all the materials must be or must have been issued in press or on TV or radio from January 1st 2002 till May 1st 2003.

The works of the participants will be assessed in 3 nominations: About Russia with Love, We Are Neighbours, and The Great and Powerful. The jury will sort out works about Russia, about cooperation with Russia, and select materials, judging by the criterion of literary style. The best ones will win money.

The jury is composed of the well-known representatives of the Russian mass media industry.

Application papers will be received until May 1st, and on June 11th the jury will unveil the winners' names in Moscow, the organisers said.