NUJU selects 25 frontline newspapers to receive financial support from Swedish publishers

The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) has completed an open competitive selection of participants in the Frontline Press program, which is implemented jointly with the Swedish Media Business Association (Tidningsutgivarna / TU). According to the results of the competition, 25 frontline newsrooms will receive six-month financial, mentoring, and educational support to strengthen their work in war conditions. In total, 56 applications have been submitted to the competition by print publications from eight regions of Ukraine bordering combat zones.

The selection process was built on the principles of openness, impartiality, and professional responsibility. The evaluation of applications was carried out by the NUJU competition commission consisting of: Sergiy Tomilenko (President of the NUJU), Iryna Khromenko (coordinator of NUJU project work with regional media), Vitalii Holubev (secretary of the NUJU / founder of the School of Universal Journalism), Oleksandr Kharchenko (former head of the Ukrinform and UNIAN news agencies / member of the NUJU Board), Serhii Narodenko (editor-in-chief and publisher of the Visnyk Ch newspaper, a successful media from the Chernihiv Region), Zoya Sharykova (member of the NUJU Secretariat / member of the Board of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics).

The commission worked in accordance with internal regulations and applied agreed, transparent, and measurable criteria. Applications were evaluated according to:

• regularity of publication and stability of its distribution;
• editorial independence and compliance with professional standards;
• quality and social significance of the content;
• compliance of materials with the Code of Ethics of a Ukrainian Journalist;
• the development of digital platforms and the implementation of modern approaches;
• the editorial team’s ability to ensure organizational and financial sustainability.

Particular attention was paid to publications that operate in proximity to the front line, are exposed to constant risks, and do not receive additional institutional support from donors.

25 newsrooms from frontline regions joined the Frontline Press program:

DNIPROPETROVSK REGION (3 media)

1. Visti Prydniproviya (Dnipro)
2. Stepova Zoria (Petropavlivka Town)
3. Novi Rubezhi (Krynychky Town)

CHERNIHIV REGION (4)

4. Novyny Horodnianshchyny (Horodnia)
5. Vest (Chernihiv)
6. Novi Horyzonty (Korop Town)
7. Zhyttia Semenivshchyny (Semenivka)

KHARKIV REGION (4)

8. Zoria (Zolochiv)
9. Slobidskyi Krai (Kharkiv)
10. Nove Zhyttia (Blyzniuky Town)
11. Visti Zmiyivshchyny (Zmiyiv)

DONETSK REGION (3)

12. Visti (Sloviyansk)
13. Technopolis (Kramatorsk)
14. Zoria (Lyman)

ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION (3)

15. Holos Huliaipillia (Huliaipole)
16. Chervonyi Promin (Zaporizhzhia)
17. Nashe Zhyttia (Novomykolayivka Settlement)

MYKOLAYIV REGION (2)

18. Visti Snihurivshchyny (Snihurivka)
19. Mykolayivski Novyny (Mykolayiv)

SUMY REGION (5)

20. Silski Horyzonty (Konotop)
21. Nash Krai (Lypova Dolyna settlement)
22. Putyvlskiy Vedo (Putivl)
23. Vash Shans (Sumy)
24. Novyny Trostianechchyny Tyzhden (Trostianets)

KHERSON REGION (1)

25. Novyi Den (Kherson)

Support and Opportunities

Each selected newsroom will receive monthly financial assistance of UAH 42,000 for the six months of the program (December 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026).

Participants will also have access to:

• professional mentoring from leading Ukrainian journalists;
• training webinars on content, digitalization, and media management;
• editorial support and consultations from NUJU

Project Mission

Frontline Press aims to strengthen the information resilience of frontline communities, for which local newspapers remain a key and often the only source of verified news. At a time when russian aggression creates new risks and challenges, local media play a critically important role in ensuring citizens’ access to reliable information and countering disinformation.

As part of the program, newsroom participants will also produce high-quality frontline reports and analytical materials. The NUJU plans to offer these publications to international media partners in the Scandinavian countries and Lithuania, expanding international coverage of the situation in Ukrainian communities living under the constant threat of war.

“Frontline newspapers are not just media, they are the voice of the community, a connection to the world, and a source of verified information for people living under the constant threat of shelling. Supporting such newsrooms is an investment in Ukraine’s information resilience,” emphasizes Sergiy Tomilenko, the President of the NUJU.

In the coming days, the NUJU team will contact each winning newsroom to agree on the details of participation in the program and sign memorandums of cooperation.

For questions about the program, please get in touch with the project coordinator:

• Iryna Khromenko, [email protected]

The Frontline Press initiative is implemented with the support of the Swedish Media Business Association (Tidningsutgivarna/TU).