THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
The Mayak newspaper, published in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv Region, cares not only about information, but also about the reader’s healthy view of the world. Here, preference is not given to breaking facts or events, of which there are so many in wartime, but to stories about good people living and working nearby: volunteers who help the Armed Forces and their fellow citizens, displaced people able to successfully settle in a new place, and even boys and girls – young patriots.
“I want people to be inspired by these positive examples to be able to inspire others,” says editor-in-chief Tetiana Luchynska.
The end of February is traditionally a holiday, the newspaper’s birthday. The holiday should have also been celebrated last year, on February 25, 2022. It was planned to publish another issue dedicated to the publication’s 92nd anniversary. Unfortunately, that did not happen. And in general, the printing of the issue had to be postponed until better times. Kharkiv and its printing house were subjected to brutal Russian shelling from the first days of the war.
There is no printing house, but Tetiana Luchynska coped without one. Together with her sister, they set up the newspaper’s printing, which turned into a front-line combat leaflet. For that, they used an A4 color printer. It was expensive, but in conditions of lack of information and interruptions in the Internet connection, there was no other way out of the trouble! The improvised newspaper contained official information, helpful advice, contacts, etc.
Tetiana printed 200-300 copies of each issue of the front-line Mayak, and 400 copies were produced before Easter. Of course, the newsroom could not reach its entire audience with such a number, so Tetiana Luchynska focused on reading each copy by many readers. The printed sheets were distributed via libraries, village councils, and places of trade.
Thus, not only did Mayak manage to perform an important socially useful informational function, but also to maintain contact with its readership.
In May, Ukrposhta was preparing to resume delivery of newspapers to subscribers, so there was an opportunity to resume printing the full-fledged Mayak. In the first issue, Tetiana included the most exciting stories printed in the front version and materials prepared for the festive issue back in February. Since Kharkiv was mercilessly shelled, and the print media did not work there, we had to look for another enterprise that could print the circulation. Such an enterprise was found in Vinnytsia. They printed it and then waited a few more days for the finished circulation to be delivered to Bohodukhiv.
There was a trouble with the first issue and its delivery to the readers: Ukrposhta was not yet ready. So, we had to call for help from volunteers. Knowing that Tetiana Luchynska herself actively volunteers, they willingly agreed to help. In addition, the residents of the villages agreed to grab copies for local residents on their way home from the district center.
“People were very happy to receive the usual full-format newspaper. It inspired and reassured and instilled hope in people. Numerous feedback from readers inspired me as well,” recalls Tetiana.
Currently, the newspaper is published in a circulation of 2,200-2,300 copies and delivered to readers by Ukrposhta.
“Thank God, we are holding on. Assisted by the NUJU, International Institute for Regional Media and Information (IRMI). This year, our publication might have failed to survive, but fortunately, for the first time in 20 years of my work in the newsroom, we received a very powerful grant from the IRMI and the Swiss non-profit organization Fondation Hirondelle, on the recommendation of the NUJU. This grant helped us survive and develop,” the editor says. “By the end of the year, we will have no problems with printing and will finally make repairs in the newsroom, which we were unable to do for years. Our entire small team (which is three people) and I are very grateful for this support. Among other things, thanks to such help, we are able to publish one eight-page color issue every month in addition to the weekly four-page issue! Readers say they look forward to this gift.”
Today, Mayak is Bohodukhiv’s authoritative publication that not only informs readers but also organizes volunteer work and supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine and compatriots in need of help. The information is spread by Mayak not only via its printed edition and Facebook, where the publication’s page has 12,000 followers, and on Tik Tok.
“We try to actively use social media networks to advertise our newspaper, to tell what information our next issue will contain,” says Tetiana Luchynska. “True, sometimes the effect of such advertising is contradictory: for some, the information contained within such announcements is enough, and they no longer need to buy a newspaper. And sometimes, on the contrary, people are interested in announcements.”
Tetiana Luchynska says she has several cherished dreams. The first and foremost thing is for Ukraine to get the Victory. The second is more practical, editorial one: Tetiana, as the head of the newspaper, would like the entire editorial team got together again and once again, like it was before the war, Mayak was published on its usual 12 pages.”
This story about the media was created by the NUJU as part of the Increasing Ukrainian Media Sustainability project financed by Swiss Solidarity and implemented with the support of the Swiss non-profit organization Fondation Hirondelle and the IRMI. Fondation Hirondelle and the IRMI are implementing a project of institutional support for newsrooms of Ukrainian media in the east, north, and south of our country, with an emphasis on the local press. They have also launched a 10-month assistance program for 18 media.
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