For Loyalty to Science is an annual national award for achievements in science communication, the popularization of science, and the upkeep of the prestige of Russian science and engineering. The nomination Best Periodical on Science is intended for print magazines, newspapers, and themed columns that familiarize readers with relevant scientific topics and ideas. This year, the first place in the nomination went to Popular Mechanics, while NewTone placed third.
NewTone is a part of ITMO University’s student media group Megabyte. This spring, the journal celebrated its anniversary – its first issue saw the light of day in May 2011. Initially conceived as an internal publication, it soon gained an audience beyond the university, too.
“We believe that a student magazine can be high-quality, comprehensive, catchy, and credible – just like any professional publication. But we also have the courage to write about things that truly concern our audience. We visit world-class technological and scientific centers and find an unconventional approach to any topic. We communicate with our readers not only from the pages of our magazine, but at events and talks, as well,” says Sofia Bugeria, the editor-in-chief of NewTone and a second-year student of the Master’s program Science Communication.
The 33rd issue of NewTone, which covered the highly-publcized issue of shihan-hill mining near the city of Sterlitamak. Credit: vk.com/mb.news
Two days prior to the awards ceremony, the magazine organized an online presentation of its new issue titled СНЫ (“DREAMS”). 10 years into its run, the Megabyte team decided to undertake a complete redesign of the magazine, starting with the cover and visuals and followed by the content and even layout.
“Lately we’ve been trying to talk more about social-action projects, the connection between science and art, even popular culture. That’s our way of engaging a new audience. We’ve been working with creative figures more often – because science isn’t just about precise technical solutions, it’s also about unusual approaches and perspectives. We’ll continue to develop our magazine and I’m sure there are more wins for us in the future,” comments Sofia.
In 2019, Megabyte became a laureate of the For Loyalty to Science award: the media group took second place in the nomination Student Media Project on Science. Learn more about Megabyte on the official website (in Russian). You can access the complete archive of NewTone (in Russian) here.
