“Looking for a solution to the problem together” – how two local newspapers implement mini-projects

Two local publications, Visti Barvinkivshchyny (Kharkiv Region) and Sarnenski Novyny (Rivne Region), have decided to study the opinion of the community regarding current problems. In this way, one publication found out that for the residents of the community, the issue of organizing the territories is relevant; the other tried to solve the problem of homeless animals in the settlements of the community.

Both projects are the result of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) initiative aimed at building communication between media workers, active community societies, and local self-government bodies.

“In the Visti Barvinkivshchyny Facebook group, we initiated a survey among members of our community. Six answer options were outlined, which, in our opinion, were key to the problem that is the subject of our mini-project. This is our first survey. During the two days of the survey, we collected 531 votes. It exceeded all expectations and forecasts! With their answers, people expressed their own vision of solving the problem of beautification of the territory of our community. We analyzed the results of the survey in the article called Order in Our Community is the Task of Each of Us!, we published in the newspaper issue dated May 23,” said the editor of the Visti Barvinkivshchyny newspaper, Iryna Stolbova.

According to the results of the survey, 18% of votes were in favor of more unemployed citizens being involved in the work on the improvement of territories. This opinion was discussed with the management of the Barvinkove Employment Service.

Together with the employment service, various aspects of solving this issue were analyzed – the material was also printed in Visti Barvinkivshchyny on May 23.

“We discussed the territory improvement issue and the results of the survey conducted by our media with a representative of the local government, namely with the head of the department for improvement and development of the housing and municipal infrastructure of the executive committee of the Barvinkove City Council, Dmytro Sukhar. We discussed the progress of improvement and beautification works in the territory of the community. The conversation was interesting, useful, and productive for both parties. Based on its results, we posted an article in the newspaper (Visti Barvinkivshchyny; dated June 6), informing our audience about this important (as the survey showed) issue,” the editor said.

The newspaper says they gained important experience. And now, they plan to continue this practice of cooperation with the audience.

In turn, Sarnenski Novyny involved the public in discussing the problem of reducing the number of homeless dogs in the population centers of the community.

“On the pages of the Sarnenski Novyny newspaper, a number of articles were published, in particular, with activists dealing with the problem of homeless animals, with the deputy mayor. They informed about the risks of rabies and provided recommendations of a veterinarian. They were informed about the work of the district police department in compliance with the current legislation on animal cruelty, establishing communication between law enforcement officers, the authorities, and animal volunteers,” says Svitlana Liashko, the editor-in-chief of Sarnenski Novyny.

The effectiveness of the articles is obvious: the number of those who want to help zoo volunteers immediately increased. There is cooperation with the city council in matters of sterilization of homeless animals. Most citizens understand that the problem is created precisely by people who are irresponsible towards those they have domesticated.

“Our project, Homeless Dogs And City Residents: How To Find A Compromise For Safe Coexistence, is, first of all, improving communication between animal volunteers, law enforcement officers, authorities, and citizens, which has led to a decrease in the number of cases of cruelty to animals,” says the editor.

During two months, 21 local and regional media, on the initiative of the NUJU, will implement their own projects aimed at strengthening interaction with the audience and local communities. As part of the work on the projects, the editors receive assistance from the Ukrainian Media Fund with the assistance of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. TV and radio companies, online media and print publications will participate in the project.

Nazarii Vivcharyk