Oksana Pavlenko: “Readers shared that when they held the first special edition of ‘Novyi Den,’ the whole family cried.” 

They evacuated at great risk to their lives and continued to inform readers about events in Kherson. The editorial team of the ‘Novyi Den’ newspaper is currently operating in Lviv. However, immediately after the de-occupation of Kherson, they published the first special print edition. Oksana Pavlenko, the editor of multimedia publications at ‘Novyi Den,’ shared the story of how they managed this. The material about her was featured in “Vysokyi Zamok” magazine as part of the initiative by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, “Journalists are important!” 

– On February 23, 2022, we printed a fresh issue, and the very next day, as if out of nowhere, war broke out, – Oksana recalled. – We couldn’t even deliver the newspaper to our readers. The occupiers entered Kherson from the left bank of the Dnipro River… 

– We called the National Union of Journalists in Kyiv with questions like, ‘How can we preserve the publication? How can we protect readers from disinformation?’ We knew how Russian propaganda works. At that time, our website was already being hacked. We needed to protect our journalists. Serhii Tomilenko, the head of the National Union of Journalists, advised us to immediately halt our operations. To save equipment and documents. We secretly evacuated the personal files of our journalists from the office, – the journalist explained. 

Oksana’s father, Anatolii Zhupyna, is the chief editor of ‘Novyi Den,’ and her mother is the deputy chief editor. The journalist’s family understood the risks they were facing and the need to flee Kherson. However, they didn’t know how to escape. From the first days of the war, leaving the city was impossible. Going to Mykolaiv through Chornobaivka was out of the question as the occupiers were shooting at cars and not allowing the retrieval of the bodies of the deceased.

– But what immediately happened during the occupation? People came together very strongly. I live in the private sector, and before the war, I didn’t even know many of my neighbors. But suddenly, we started visiting each other, exchanging phone numbers, and creating groups on social media. I got to know people from the street next door and told them that we were journalists and that they might come after us. Of course, it was a risk to trust people we barely knew because who could know which side our neighbors supported. Together, we started brainstorming ways to act in case of danger. We even conducted rehearsals: my son and father would climb over the fence, moving through the yard to the neighboring street. We needed to know how much time this would take. We also prepared a shelter, converted the basement, and dug a toilet in the yard just in case, – Oksana shared. 

They left by car at the end of March. Oksana, her son, parents, a cousin, and two friends. 

– We didn’t take any items that would indicate we were journalists: no IDs, business cards, awards, not even a single copy of ‘Novyi Den.’ The decision to leave, though extremely risky, was made instantly after our neighbors informed us that both the office and my parents’ apartment had been visited by unknown individuals. My son asked, ‘Mom, how many things should we take? How long are we leaving for?’ I said, ‘Take it as if it’s forever!’

After moving to Lviv, they started planning how to continue their work. Kherson’s colleagues received support from the Lviv Center for Journalistic Solidarity, which guided them in the right direction, helped them find funding, and assisted in project writing. 

– We got in touch with the employees of our editorial office who had been scattered across Ukraine, and with those who remained in the occupied territory. We realized that people needed reliable information. To start, we decided to resume our work in an electronic format. In May, we created a Facebook page and a Telegram channel. We added the slogan ‘What hurts you? Kherson hurts me.’ However, as long as Kherson was occupied, there was no talk of a printed version of the publication, – the journalist continued. 

But when Kherson was liberated on November 11, they began thinking about restoring the newspaper. On November 17, they released the first special edition. The main topics of the issue were the de-occupation of Kherson, the president’s visit, humanitarian aid, the opening of post offices and banks, and the restoration of Ukrainian mobile communication. 

– The newspaper had a positive, optimistic mood, although everyone understood that the occupiers wouldn’t simply give it back to us and would seek revenge. And that’s exactly what happened, – the editor shared. 

– Reviving the publication in its current format – newspaper, website, Facebook page, and Telegram channel – became possible thanks to financial support from the National Union of Journalists and its international partners. Readers who provide feedback inspire us for further work. They write, call, and comment on publications. People are happy when they receive our newspaper as a breath of fresh air, as a symbol of freedom and indomitable spirit. One reader called and shared that when they held the first special edition of ‘Novyi Den,’ the whole family cried. We are currently preparing the third issue of the newspaper and eagerly await the day when we can write the word ‘VICTORY’ in large red letters on the front page!

This series, titled Executed Free Speech, is created as part of a project Drawing Ukrainian And International Audience’s Attention To Serious Violations Of Human Rights And Crimes Against Journalists And Mass Media By The Russian Federation,  which is performed by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, with support from the Swedish non-profit organization Civil Rights Defenders.

JOURNALISTS ARE IMPORTANT. Stories of Life and Work in Conditions of War is a cycle of materials prepared by the team of the NUJU with the support of the Swedish human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.

#CRD