A conference “Church in the Information Society” has begun at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv.
A conference “Church in the Information Society” has begun at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv. The event will end on 5 May. It is being attended by 150 persons from all over Ukraine and visitors from Russia and Belarus, journalists representing religious and secular media, students, priests and representatives of church press services.
“This is the second time we are organizing this event. Last year, the conference was held in Odesa with the partnership support of various Christian churches and organizations. This year, the conference is also interdenominational and the main stress is on professional training. There is no longer a need to convince journalists working in church mass media that their work is useful, but one should draw their attention to the professional level,” said one of the organizers of the conference, Director of RISU Taras Antoshevskyi.
The event began with a prayer and a brief introductory address by Deputy Bishop of the Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith Mykola Syniuk.
“We live in a complicated time. Therefore, representatives of Christian mass media should not simply repulse the attacks against their communities and churches but be aggressive, in measure, in a good sense, in order to tell people the truth,” said Mykola Syniuk.
On the first day of the conference, reports were made by Rector of UCU Fr. Borys Gudziak, Vice Rector of UCU Myroslav Marynovych, RISU Director Taras Antoshevskyi, a market studies expert Ihor Didok, and a representative of Mainstream Communication & Consulting Roman Maltsev.
“For me this meeting is not only an opportunity to share technique approaches and to formulate tactics and strategy. Even though these approaches are extremely important as they condition the most profound understanding of the level of the conference. This meeting, primarily, is an opportunity to support the authentic experience of the God-given freedom with a hope that this freedom will develop into professional and objective broadcasting of joy and peace in Ukraine and outside it,” said Fr. Borys Gudziak.
The event is organized by the Religious Information Service of Ukraine with the support of the Master Degree Program in Journalism of UCU, Institute of Ecumenical Studies of UCU; Mainstream Communication & Consulting, Pro.mova expert company, magazine CREDO; ІInstitute for Religious Freedom; Odesa People’s Church, Ukraine Without Orphans Alliance, Missioner Publishers, RAFAIL Pilgrimage Center, Arche Book Shop, Charity Herald magazine.