Jehovah’s Witnesses

For Immediate Release
July 19, 2002

World Media Festival recognizes public interest in medical options to blood

HAMBURG, Germany—On May 15, the World Media Festival granted two awards to Jehovah’s Witnesses for video material they produced to inform viewers about various medical alternatives to blood transfusions. The video No Blood—Medicine Meets the Challenge received the Gold Award in the category Public Relations: Health. In the category Video News Releases, The Silent Epidemic placed second and received the Silver Award.

The World Media Festival is a global competition based in Hamburg. The entries this year came from 22 countries. Among the participants were ABC, CBS News, Bayer, Microsoft, Orion, Universal Studios, Volkswagen, and BMW.

An international panel of professionals who judged the entries followed specific standards and took into account artistic and technical skills. The highest score, however, was based on whether the program effectively communicates the message to its intended target-group. The stated goal of this competition is, “not to honor the most expensive, costly or the wittiest program,” but to recognize the one that is best designed to “accomplish its purpose, its aim.”

Contact: J. R. Brown, telephone: (718) 560-5600