THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Ukrainian local media, which have firmly established themselves in their information space, have always been in constant search: for the reader – interesting and relevant publications, for editors, and, of course, funds for their current needs. So, even in the era of mass digitalization, regional print media had their permanent fans, and the content provided an opportunity to attract advertisers and firmly hold their positions on the media market. The war shook this strength even in relatively calm regions, let alone the front-line and occupied territories! And yet, with the incredible efforts of newsroom teams, many newspapers were able to stay in the information field. In a number of publications, the year that will soon pass was also marked by noteworthy successes.
What successes of 2023 will local media editors remember?
I managed to survive, and these days, it’s also an achievement.
Considering our current realities, if the publication has survived and continues to inform readers, it is already an unconditional success and the biggest achievement of the year. This was emphasized by the majority of the editors with whom the coordinators of the regional Journalists’ Solidarity Centers (JSC) of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) communicated. Many heads of publications drew attention to the fact that the NUJU has a significant role in achieving the success of survival.
The editor-in-chief of the Nikopol newspaper, Pivdenna Zoria from the Dnipropetrovsk Region, Inna Shvydka, noted that the publication managed to survive largely thanks to the support of the NUJU and its friendly charitable organizations.
“Thank you very much for your help. We regularly published the newspaper in printed form. It was not easy in our conditions. Today, Pivdenna Zoria remains the only local newspaper published in print and distributed throughout the Nikopol District,” Inna Shvydka notes.
The Visnyk newspaper from the village of Shyroke in the Dnipropetrovsk Region also considers the main success of the year to be that the publication managed to stay in the information space.
“Despite the war, we work, the newspaper is published, we pay salaries without delays, without debts. And this, we believe, is a success. The work of our journalist Oleksandr Kozlenko was highly appreciated this year in the creative competition of the Dnipropetrovsk regional organization of the NUJU. We are respected, celebrated, and invited! We feel the constant support of the media community, and that is important. For our part, we actively respond to the Union‘s initiatives; we participate in various events, including educational ones, which take place at the Dnipro JSC of the NUJU,” says Vita Kucher, the editor-in-chief of the Visnyk newspaper.
“The key success is the continuous work of the newsroom and the newspaper’s publishing in the difficult conditions of the war in Ukraine. Visti Prydniproviya continues to inform the population of the front-line Dnipropetrovsk Region about current and socially important news in print, on the newspaper’s two websites, and through social networks. We attach great importance to innovation and team training. Our employees are active participants in exercises and different training sessions. In particular, after the mobile journalism course, the newspaper started creating more video content and intensified the work of its YouTube channel. All this reflects the strategy of the Visti Prydniproviya team – to keep up with the times, learn and develop new skills,” notes the editor-in-chief of the Dnipropetrovsk regional newspaper Visti Prydniproviya, Nataliya Kovalchuk.
The Zaporizhzhia JSC drew attention to the fact that for a number of newspapers in the region, which is currently occupied for 70%, the possibility of restoring the publishing of local newspapers in the front-line territories with the help of the NUJU is an absolute success. One of them is Trudova Slava, the town of Orikhiv. Fourteen newspaper issues have already been released. By the end of the year, two more issues of the newspaper will be published. In the same way, the Holos Huliaipillia newspaper from the city of Huliaipole has resumed publication – four issues of the newspaper have already been released, and the subscription for 2024 has been announced.
Mykola Ivantsiv, the editor of the Volia Narodu newspaper from Buh, Lviv Region, notes that the main success of the year is that the newspaper is published without interruptions, and each issue reaches the reader. However, only two people work on the issues.
Roman Smilka, the head of one more Lviv regional newspaper, Narodna Dumka from the city of Horodok, also notes:
- The fact that our two-color and eight-page newspaper continues to be published every week is one of the important events in the life of our media in 2023.
In the same way, they did not lose momentum in the presentation of the newspaper on the media market in the newsroom of the weekly Nash Krai from Mostyska. The newspaper is published in A3 format on Thursdays. They did not skip a single issue and did not reduce the number of pages (eight). However, the editor of the publication, Halyna Soroka, is worried about the situation in the coming year.
“There are six people working in the newsroom, and the salary is minimal; next year, there will be either layoffs or we will transfer the staff to a part-time salary,” says Halyna Soroka.
When a newspaper becomes scarce
Undoubtedly, the increase in the circulation of the printed edition and the growth in the number of readers gives the editors a full right to be proud of their work. And in Ukraine there are media that, despite all the challenges, won the fight for the reader, and these are truly achievements of the year.
In particular, Mykola Kramarenko, a co-founder of Domashnia Hazeta media from Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Region, talking about the significant events of this year in the life of the newsroom, said that the publication is even gaining weight in terms of readership. Yes, the newspaper is published every Wednesday, and on Friday, it becomes unavailable for sale because it is all sold out. So, the publication confirms that it is successful.
“Due to the fact that we switched to another printing house – now we print in Zaporizhzhia – the quality of printing has become better. We have signed an agreement with the Trade Union of Metallurgists and Miners of Ukraine; we publish customized specialized pages every month. In addition to income, these are additional opportunities for newspaper distribution. In general, the newsroom fruitfully cooperates with large enterprises, says the media person. Another achievement is the fact that journalist Nataliya Shyshka won a court case against the head of the city’s funeral service – this struggle lasted more than a year.
The year was also successful for the Zhovti Vody.City website from Dnipropetrovsk Region. Although this is electronic media, no one can avoid competition for the reader in the digital space. An absolute achievement – the audience of the Zhovti Vody.City website increased by more than 20%.
New opportunities and grant projects
For most of the media, the beginning of the full-scale war became a real test in material and financial terms. Every story here is unique. In every situation, a lot depends on the management of the media to maintain not only the informational but also the financial front within their publication. However, along with the challenges came new grant opportunities. The search for grants for a number of media has been successfully completed. The NUJU strives to adequately present the Ukrainian media space with its high-quality and unique media, which currently need support, to international partners and, therefore, help attract assistance. Attracting grants is also called the main achievement of 2023 by a number of editors.
The team of the Krynychany-based Novi Rubezhi newspaper from the Dnipropetrovsk Region has a lot to be proud of. Despite the challenges, they were able to find a number of new opportunities for themselves, thanks to which they achieved good results. The greatest achievement is considered to be the fact that this year, it was possible to update the material and technical base of the newsroom.
“At the expense of partners, donors – from the NUJU, the Volyn Press Club (we participate in the gender project), from the Ternopil Press Club (within the framework of the program to support denationalized local media, we used grant opportunities – we received financial support for the production of content for the site). The NUJU was the first to help. With its help, we received a new laptop. Also, our media was selected for the project called Strengthening Media Sustainability In Ukraine, which is implemented by the Fondation Hirondelle (Switzerland) and the International Institute for Regional Media and Information (IRMI, Ukraine). This gives confidence, at least for the near future, to improve the quality level of our publication,” emphasizes Nataliya Dolhikh, a deputy editor-in-chief of the Novi Rubezhi newspaper.
“This year, we found an excellent operator-editor in the team, sold the first video advertisement for a local business, and also purchased a laptop. And thanks to participation in the project Strengthening Media Sustainability In Ukraine, which is implemented by the Fondation Hirondelle and IRMI, financed by the Swiss Solidarity Foundation, we have technical equipment for the newsroom, for 11 months we received mentoring and financial support,” says the editor of the Zhovti Vody.City site, Pavlo Yeshtokin, a displaced journalist from Volnovakha.
Yevhen Khrypun, the editor-in-chief of the Mezhivskyi Meridian newspaper (Dnipropetrovsk Region), noted that a laptop from the NUJU was a significant help for the newsroom. And regarding the main success of the year – the newspaper remained in the media space.
“Looking for ways to survive, we had several short-term local projects: prepared materials within the framework of the project under the auspices of the Ukrainian Media Business Association. We also recently received good news – we became participants in the project Strengthening Media Sustainability In Ukraine, implemented by the Fondation Hirondelle and IRMI. We hope to reach a new quality level within the scope of the project together with other newsrooms. Today, it can be considered a fruitful conclusion of this year. Many thanks to the Union! We have become, perhaps, a little more focused: we received a laptop and a power bank, and we participate in various events and projects,” says Yevhen Khrypun.
The TV and radio company RAI from the Ivano-Frankivsk Region also attributes its success to project support. The RAI television and radio company has been working in the field of production and distribution of media content for more than thirty years, and even with the beginning of the great war, it did not stop working for a moment, and the main result of many years of media activity was the transformation of a small television organization into a modern, powerful media structure. During 2023, TV and radio company RAI was part of the project called Strengthening Media Sustainability In Ukraine, implemented by the Fondation Hirondelle and IRMI. The result of the cooperation is that the technical base of the channel has been replenished with new equipment. Also, with new knowledge, because most of the employees have undergone various training sessions dedicated to mobile journalism, grant writing, and SMM promotion, Oleksii Soldatenko supervised and supported these training projects. The acquired knowledge and technical support contributed to a significant improvement in the quality and efficiency of the TV and radio company’s work in the media environment.
This year, the team of the TV and radio company RAI moved to a modern studio located in a semi-basement with two exits, which, during the war and almost daily alarms, gives the team the opportunity to stay safe without leaving their workplaces. And two television studios that can work simultaneously to optimize time and increase work efficiency. The latest technology (robotic cameras) brings media materials to a new higher level. Updated equipment and acquired knowledge contribute to the effective implementation of ideas and professional tasks.
Cooperation with the NUJU and the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC of the NUJU was an important support for RAI. It allowed the company to maintain close and friendly relations with colleagues and other companies in the media sphere, which made it possible for the TV and radio company to find and provide jobs for experienced specialists – internally displaced journalists and videographers. When the power outages began, which brought the team to a complete standstill, the NUJU once again supported the broadcasters by providing an EcoFlow charging station.
“Our employees strive for continuous improvement, improving their skills and expanding their knowledge in the field of media. We actively use available educational resources and participate in training sessions to ensure the relevance of information and the most up-to-date skills in the industry. After all, we work for society and in the interests of all citizens of Ukraine!” says Andrii Rusyniak, the director general of a TV and radio company/board member of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional union of journalists and Honored Journalist of Ukraine.
Non-standard solutions as a way to success
In the current situation, all media of the Chernivtsi Region are working to survive. Several newsrooms received short-term financial support in the form of grants or scholarships. The rest are looking for a possible salvation inside the newsrooms: reducing employees, giving up rented premises, and reducing the number of columns in newspapers. There is also an accumulation of debts that are expected to be repaid with the funds received for the subscription for 2024. Most newspaper newsrooms employ 2-3 people.
And yet media people find ways to stay in the media space – sometimes difficult, forced, but at the moment, they work. In particular, the newspapers Slovo Pravdy (Novoselytsia) and Novyi Den (Hlyboka) have merged and are preparing joint editions in order to save money.
Awards and honors
One of the indicators of quality journalism is awards at various creative competitions, which are also part of success stories.
In particular, the material of an article called Krzysztof Muszak – Warrior, Azov Trooper, Patriot Of Ukraine by journalist Halyna Soroka, the editor of the Nash Krai newspaper from Mostyska, Lviv Region, became the winner In the regional competition named after Hero of Ukraine/journalist Taras Matviyiv‘s. For it, she received a prize of UAH 50,000. With these funds, with the help of the coordinator of the charity initiative to help the military at the Mostyska City Council, Oleh His, a quadcopter was purchased and handed over to compatriots at the front.
Mykola Kramarenko, a journalist and co-founder of Domashnia Hazeta from Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Region, recently received the Cross of Civic Merit badge of national honor. He considers this distinction to be the merit of the entire editorial staff. Mykola Kramarenko‘s participation in the creative competition of the Dnipro regional organization of the NUJU was also successful – he received the first prize in the nomination called Best Work On Military-Patriotic Topics, named after Rem Suvorov. From the first to the sixth column of the newspaper is devoted to the war. Three newsroom employees are now in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) fighting. The newsroom constantly helps the military announce fundraising. They also collected money for a car for one of the military units.
The work of the editor of another media outlet from the Dnipropetrovsk Region, the Zhovti Vody.City website Pavlo Yeshtokin was included in the list of winners of the journalistic work competition in the Animal-Friendly Regions category.
The journalist of this media, Tetiana Pototska, was awarded the Cross of Civic Merits badge of national honor. The editor-in-chief of the Visnyk newspaper from the village of Shyroke, Vita Kucher, received the same award.
The successful work of publications in the de-occupied territories did not go unnoticed by the military command. Thus, Svitlana Karpenko, the editor of the Trudova Slava newspaper from Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Region, was awarded the honors of Hero of Ukraine and Lieutenant General Serhii Nayev, the Commander of the Combined Forces of the AFU, For Service And Victory of III and II degrees. The editor of the Holos Huliaipillia newspaper, Tetiana Velyka, was awarded the Diploma of the Commander of the AFU United Forces.
The Zaporizhzhia JSC of the NUJU was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration for active work on the information front during the war in support of regional media and displaced journalists.
Prepared by Nataliya Nazarova, Nataliya Kuzmenko, Valentyna Manzhura, Nataliya Voitovych, Viktoriya Plakhta, Volodymyr Bober, and Inna Kosianchuk
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