THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
The President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), Sergiy Tomilenko, made a working trip to the Dnipropetrovsk Region last Friday. The eventful program included meetings with fellow union members in Nikopol, active members of the regional journalistic organization, representatives of local media, and teachers of local journalism departments at the Dnipro Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC), with student journalists of Dnipro National University, as well as an interview on a local TV channel.
During the visit to Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko and the Board Chairperson of the regional journalistic organization, Oleksii Kovalchuk, talked with the rector Serhii Okovytyi about the professional training of future media workers, their role in the information space, and cooperation between the Dnipropetrovsk regional journalistic organization and the educational institution.
The guests were given a tour of the university’s Gallery of Honor and Memory. In the smart shelter, CLUST SPACE DNIPRO, a meeting with students and teachers of the Faculty of Journalism took place.
The speech of the head of the NUJU and the subsequent discussion covered various issues. In particular, the students were interested in the role of the telethon in journalism and the possibility of attracting the attention of young people to print media, as well as the level of Ukrainian journalism today.
“Our priority is to support journalists,” noted Sergiy Tomilenko. “So that any journalist or media worker understands that there is a community that will help, provide certain recommendations, consultations, etc. We are open to cooperation with students; we spread certain opportunities through our channels. So, the key call is to use the available opportunities and not wait for certain tasks but try on your own to strive for bright self-realization.
The next stop was the Dnipropetrovsk regional union of journalists. With the participation of representatives of regional media, they discussed pressing issues of journalism development, support for journalistic teams, the safety of media workers, priorities, and challenges faced by local media outlets, as well as those located in high-risk areas. Sergiy Tomilenko emphasized the importance of supporting media outlets that need it and emphasized the need to consolidate efforts to continue the functioning and development of journalism:
“The success of any media outlet, radio, newspapers, TV channels, etc., lies primarily within the teams themselves, with editors, with managers. We help those who seek help. Our task is to help people stay in the profession, not leave it. But, at the same time, those who fight, those who want to survive with this help, can be more resilient.”
The participants in the meeting, at the same time, expressed their opinion on the current problems of the industry, as well as the importance of the existence of Journalists’ Solidarity Centers in the regions:
“I would really like to thank you today for the feeling that you are not alone and that you have somewhere to turn for support, for help,” said Yevhen Khrypun, the editor of the Mezhyvskyi Meridian newspaper. “Especially when it seemed that there was nowhere to go. After all, believe me, publishing a regional printed newspaper today that does not have a government sponsor is very difficult. We received the equipment. We are constantly in touch with the union. And this is really very important because everything we do today is not about money. Thank you for not being alone!”
During the visit, symbolic gifts were exchanged: the President of NUJU handed over the flag of the Union and received a new military relic for the central office – the flag of the Engineer-Sapper Platoon with the signatures of the military who conducted mine safety training for journalists.
Sergiy Tomilenko handed over a laptop from international partners to the editor-in-chief of the Visnyk newspaper from the Shyroke Community, Zhanna Ploskonos. Their community borders the Kherson Region and was subjected to hail and artillery fire almost every day from March to October 2022. Despite this, not a single employee left their workplace, and the newspaper recently celebrated its 90th anniversary and continues to be published.
Finally, the President of the NUJU visited Channel 11, where he took part in the Vasyliiev Hostro TV show, the release of which will be released soon.
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, the coordinator of the Dnipro JSC). The Center’s address is 8 Starokozatska Street.
Liana Okhrymenko, Dnipro JSC
Discussion about this post