OREANDA-NEWS. December 20, 2011. The nomination categories for 2012 focus on development of small business in Russia’s regions and personal finance. The winners will be invited to participate in a special journalism course at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in the United States, reported the press-centre of Citibank.

Citibank announces that applications are now being accepted for the Citi Journalistic Excellence Award 2012, an annual competition that Citi holds throughout the world. The main objective of the award in Russia is to facilitate the professional development of talented journalists who write about popular and socially significant topics in the realm of economics and finance. Applications will be accepted through February 13, 2012.

The competition is open to journalists of national and regional media registered in the Russian Federation. The competition accepts journalistic works published or broadcast in Russian media from January 1, 2011 to January 31, 2012 and dedicated to the following topics:

Small Business as a Key Factor in the Social-Economic Stability of Russia

Economics and Finance Benefiting People

These topics were selected thanks to their popularity among the broad audience of Russian business media in all corners of the country. At the same time, they are also very important in the general context of the social-economic development of Russia.

The nomination Small Business as a Key Factor in the Social-Economic Stability of Russia covers the most pressing issues with regard to Russia’s social-economic development, including such issues as economic support of the population in the regions, employment for vulnerable segments of the population, and people’s ability to provide jobs and income for themselves and their immediate community. The theme of small business development has taken on great importance, as both the state and the business community have come to understand that stability and prosperity of small and growing businesses provide the foundation not only for successful development of the economy of the entire country but also for the social stability of its society.

The nomination Economics and Finance Benefiting People provides an opportunity to evaluation the work of journalists who focus directly on economic information, making it accessible to a wider audience and thus helping to improve the financial literacy of the population. Readers of business and public policy media follow financial information and pay attention to trends, both with regard to their own businesses and when planning family budgets, making major purchases and accumulating savings. And this is why high-quality articles and professional reporting serve as a source of objective information for ordinary people and for the business community.

As in the previous year, the independent jury for the 2012 award will include well-known representatives of the journalistic community and academia, financial experts, economists, and other visible public figures. In accordance with the competition rules, there are no Citibank representatives on the jury.

In 2010-2011, 70 applications were received from journalists working at print and online media as well as radio and television from various regions of Russia – from Kaliningrad to Chukotka.

The independent and authoritative jury of the 2011 competition selected three winners from each nomination category, and their works were then sent to Columbia University, where the final decision was made. The first place winners were Olga Belomytseva and Svetlana Nikitina, both from Tomsk.

"We were inspired by the great interest on the part of participants of last year’s competition and at the same time amazed by the quality of journalism and depth of understanding of the topics proposed for the competition. Together with the jury members we once again became convinced that in Russia’s regions journalists are more than just journalists. They not only write news professionally but they also help readers unravel the complicated world of finance and economic events," noted Denis Denisov, Public Affairs Head Citi Russia and CIS.

"The trip to the United States to attend the profession training course at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism was an unforgettable journey for me. This is a unique experience for any journalist who writes on topics related to finance. I sincerely recommend to all of my colleagues to seize this opportunity and enter this competition," says Olga Belomytseva, editor of the Tomsky Business Journal and winner of the 2011 competition.

Competition Chronology:
Applications are accepted up to and including February 13, 2012. In February 2012 the members of the independent jury will determine the finalists, whose work will be recommended for the second part of the competition.

In March 2012 the winners will be determined and awarded the Grand Prix – a trip to the United States to participate in a special eight-day journalism course at the internationally renowned Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. The winners will take part in discussions led by Columbia instructors, academics and politicians, as well as have the chance visit some of the main financial institutions and government bodies of the United States, including the New York Stock Exchange, Standard & Poor’s, the Bloomberg news agency and US Federal Reserve. The seminars program also includes presentations by Citi representatives.

A full list of the documents and complete rules and regulations for participating in the competition are available on the Citibank website:
http://www.citibank.ru/russia/citigroup/eng/cjea.htm