Local media of Dnipropetrovsk Region: surviving, becoming more resilient despite all challenges

A friendly delegation visited the newsroom of the Visnyk newspaper in the settlement of Shyroke: representatives of the Dnipropetrovsk regional organization of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and the Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC), as well as a colleague from the Krynychany media outlet, Novi Rubezhi. The working trip to Kryvyi Rih was planned precisely for the 90^th anniversary of Visnyk, which fell in early February. So, the colleagues congratulated the jubilarians, talked about their painful experiences, and shared their life hacks – how local media can survive and become more resilient despite all the challenges of today.

Media workers from two former districts and the regional newspaper Visti Prydniproviya had a lot to talk about. What to put on the newspaper pages to be interesting to their audience? What additional opportunities does the site provide? Who is printed, where, and what alternatives for distributing periodicals do they use?

The Visnyk team is constantly looking for alternative ways to reach the reader, in particular, electronic and corporate subscriptions are actively developing, and they are available at points of sale. The magazine tries not to miss any important events in the district and territorial communities and seeks to tell how fellow countrymen live today.

Since Shyroke’s Visnyk does not yet have its own website, Oleksii Kovalchuk suggested that colleagues help create it.

Regional media also helps to survive by participating in international grant competitions. Visti Prydniproviya and Novi Rubezhi already have some experience in attracting donor funds. Visnyk, according to Zhanna Ploskonos, has applied for grants several times but has not yet won. However, she admits that the successful example of colleagues inspires not to lose hope and to continue writing applications.

In addition, the Center constantly holds various training events for media professionals, discusses important issues in a roundtable format, provides professional advice, legal consultations, etc.

So, the Journalists’ Union will continue to make every effort to ensure that colleagues feel the effective support of the professional community.

The network of Journalists’ Solidarity Centers is an initiative of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, implemented in collaboration with the International and European Federations of Journalists, and UNESCO and with the support of the People of Japan. Our primary goal is to assist media professionals working in Ukraine during the war. The Centers are active in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. The project is part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to support the Safety of Journalists and Freedom of Expression in Ukraine.

Call the Dnipro JSC at 050 919 8479 (Nataliya Nazarova, coordinator of the Dnipro JSC). The Center’s address is 8 Starokozatska Street.

Dnipro JSC information service