THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
When we talk about media in the 21st century, first of all we imagine, if not a social network, then at least an Internet site or a TV & Radio company. Ukraine is a modern country, and the trends here are similar to the rest of the world. At the same time, the situation in the frontline territories is somewhat different: according to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, there is a fairly high level of trust in the print media.
The second life of the Ukrainian print press
“The realities of cities, towns and villages close to the front, destroyed by the occupiers, where electricity is actually destroyed, and the mobile network practically does not work, testify to the importance of print media as an alternative way of conveying information to people,” says the President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) Sergiy Tomilenko.
Often in frontline, de-occupied territories, and sometimes – in remote villages of other parts of Ukraine, newspapers are the only type of media available to local residents.
“The digital format is more modern and accessible from any corner of the planet, and the printed newspaper is important for residents of border villages, near the front, where russian TV channels are often caught much better than Ukrainian ones, and there is no electricity in many populated areas,” says Oleksiy Pasyuga, editor-in-chief of the Vorskla newspaper from Velyka Pysarivka, Sumy region.
The truth of these words is also confirmed by Daria Zyryanova from Zaporizhzhia, TV operator of the national TV channel “We are Ukraine“, saying that during her trips to the frontline towns and villages, she was pleasantly surprised by the attitude of local residents towards journalists.
“They thank us for we do not forget them – people who live in destroyed houses and basements, without water, electricity, heating, mobile communication,” Daria said. “In these settlements, the only real way to get information is to go to the invincibility point to watch “The United marathon” or to phone relatives from there… But people say they are waiting for newspapers the most, and each publication, they received, becomes a treasure for them. After all, you can read it at home, without going to the point of invincibility and without exposing yourself to additional danger.”
Oleksandr Pasichnyk, editor-in-chief of the Zoria newspaper from the frontline Lyman of the Donetsk region, also claims that in the territory where his publication is distributed, it is not uncommon to find settlements where there is not only the Internet, but also electricity in general.
According to Oleksandr Zubar, freelance journalist from Kupiansk, also near the front, in the Kharkiv region, the Internet in the town works very poorly, and the only alternative to the press here is rumors. Such a situation is an excellent breeding ground for the spread of false gossip, and often russian propaganda. The journalist emphasizes that there is a critical shortage of print media in the town.
The situation is the same in the frontline town of Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia region. “The level of awareness among people is very low, and it is often difficult to even talk about any awareness. Apart from our newspaper, the only source of ‘information’ for people is rumors,” says Svitlana Karpenko, editor-in-chief of the Orikhiv-based Trudova Slava.
This is very dangerous, because the lack of objective information on evacuation, humanitarian aid, heating, etc. leads to deaths. Realizing this, the editorial staff of the local newspaper Vpered, until the last days of the defense of Bakhmut, delivered copies of their publication there in various ways (first through volunteers, then through the military) and thus saved people’s lives.
Along almost the entire border with the russian federation, Ukrainian settlements are easily visible from the territory of the state-aggressor, and they are constantly under fire. People live and work under constant “arrivals”.
“There hasn’t been electricity or mobile communication here for months: the russians have been destroying transformers and cell towers. So when I bring the latest issue of my newspaper to the frontline villages, people line up in queues,” says Vasyl Miroshnyk, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper Zoria from Zolochiv, Kharkiv region. “The russians are doing everything they can to keep people in the border area in constant fear. And most importantly, to break their sense of connection with Ukraine. So the newspaper connects these people not only with the local community, but also with Ukraine as a whole. These are not lofty phrases, this is a cruel reality. Maybe I am going to say some sedition, but the content of the newspaper is not even critically important for the residents of the border villages. Its very existence is more important.”
Bogdan Chervak, First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, shares the opinion that local print media are important as a marker of close ties with Ukraine.
“When in 2022 the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out successful military operations to de-occupy Ukrainian lands, the question of restoring the activities of the Ukrainian media in these territories immediately arose. Much attention was paid to restoring television, radio, and the Internet, and rightly so. But at the same time, practice has shown that newspapers have become a real litmus test for the de-occupied territories and for people who have survived the occupation. Ordinary local publications that began to appear in towns and villages were newspapers in the Ukrainian language and with national symbols, and for the local population it was a visible fact of the return of the Ukrainian state,” said Bogdan Chervak during the ’roundtable’ “Restoring and ensuring the resilience of the media in the de-occupied and frontline territories”, held at the NUJU on 15 February in partnership with the Institute for Regional Media and Information (IRMI, Ukraine) and the Swiss ‘Fondation Hirondelle’.
The two organizations are implementing the important project ‘Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine’, which provides sustainable support to more than 20 regional and local media. In particular, frontline newspapers such as Vorskla (Velyka Pysarivka, Sumy region), Zoria (Lyman, Donetsk region), Trudova Slava (Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia region), Novyy Den (Kherson), Vpered (Bakhmut, Donetsk region), and Obrii Iziumshchyny (Izium, Kharkiv region) receive training and institutional support from the Project.
Even in places where the situation with electricity and the Internet is relatively better, a significant number of Ukrainians are not satisfied with information from telegram channels. According to the aforementioned KIIS survey, 26% of residents of the de-occupied and frontline territories trust the print media.
“They want to receive professional information: verified, processed, and organized into a readable text,” said Tetiana Velyka, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper Golos Guliaypillya in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. “The advantage of social media is efficiency (for example, to know where the enemy hit with a missile or drone), and the advantage of the printed press is thoroughness. Those who write in publics are not responsible for anything. And the information of professional journalists is backed by their reputation. A journalist conducts a professional search, not limited to what is on the surface. People understand this.”
According to Anatoliy Zhupyna, editor-in-chief of the Kherson newspaper Novyy Den, for many readers the newspaper is not only a source of information, but also psychological support, connecting people under fire – with a peaceful past, and people who have evacuated – with their hometown or native land.
Some frontline communities, such as Dvorichanska in the Kharkiv region, have almost completely depopulated. And the local newspaper, which is available in the resettlement hubs, remains the only source that unites fellow citizens.
“We are very grateful that there is the newspaper Dvorichanskyy Krai through which we can convey information to people, a newspaper that unites us,” says the head of the Dvorichanska settlement military administration Galyna Turbaba. “Life is getting a little easier…”
The same situation is with the Bakhmut newspaper Vpered. Despite the fact that the russian occupiers destroyed and eventually captured Bakhmut, the publication continues to be published, with a fairly large circulation of 4,000 copies. It is distributed in eight hubs for displaced people from the town.
“Traditionally, it is believed that each issue of a printed newspaper is read by three people. So, we have about 12,000 readers,” says editor-in-chief Svitlana Ovcharenko. “We followed our readers – where the readers went, the newspaper went there.”
“For people, the printed edition is a symbol of hope!” – says Svitlana Karpenko, editor of the Orikhiv newspaper. “Therefore, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of the frontline press. We highly appreciate the efforts made by the Union of Journalists to preserve our publications – if it weren’t NUJU, we wouldn’t be able to publish them.”
The revival of traditional media in the territories close to the front and the border with russia is one of the priorities of the NUJU. At the same time, the Union is making significant efforts to modernize these publications, arming them with modern technologies and knowledge necessary for survival on the market when the aid from international donors ends. In particular, with the assistance of international organizations and the governments of friendly countries, NUJU provides media with computer equipment, cameras, generators, power banks and charging stations, conducts large-scale training programs on marketing, digitization, content modernization, etc.
“I was pleasantly surprised!” Kostyantyn Grygorenko, NUJU Secretary, mentor, shared his feelings about one of the educational projects. “Two thirds of those who took part in the project already implemented our recommendations at the time of its completion. These are really cool cases. Someone started using QR codes in newspaper publications, which can be used to view videos and additional photos on a smartphone. Someone started selling printing products such as calendars, posters, etc.”
To help philanthropists and financial donors in determining the main needs of the frontline press, NUJU conducted a special study. In addition to specific requests regarding the restoration of damaged newsrooms and professional equipment, common needs with media and journalists from other regions of Ukraine were identified.
“Over 80 percent of newsrooms lost advertisers due to the war, 60 percent of newsrooms said that they lacked funds for salaries,” says Lina Kush, NUJU First Secretary. “According to our data, every fourth journalist in the regions often works without pay at all, another half of media workers work with reduced salaries. And this despite the fact that since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, the workload of local media workers has increased!”
«There is always a lack of circulation»
Yuriy Babakov, resident of Lyman, has been living in the basement of a store with his wife, who has a disability, since May 2022: his apartment was destroyed. He is a long-time admirer of the local newspaper Zoria and is convinced that today this publication is even more popular than before the war. Now he helps the editors to distribute Zoria among Lymanians.
“I am like a postman. The newspaper is literally flying among readers,” he says. “There is always a lack of circulation. This is understandable, because apart from the newspaper, people have nothing to read. There is Internet, but it is weak. And no one will write about us like Zoria“.
Publications in local newspapers, which work for the frontline territories, have their own specifics: they are as close as possible to the realities of life. A journalist from the national or international media, having visited the danger zone, tries to gather information as quickly as possible and often receives it from not the most informed or even completely random people. On the other hand, a local journalist always knows whom to turn to on this or that issue.
Work in the hometown for media workers from the front line turns into a daily feat.
It is in these conditions that freelance journalist Oleksandr Zubar lives and works in Kupiansk.
“Today I went to the town center. I walked 500 meters, suddenly I heard a whistle above me like an airplane, and I heard an explosion behind me. 3-4 minutes before that, I was at the place where the russian missile hit,” says the media person.
Journalists of local publications, even if they were forced to leave the border of the front line and now work remotely, collect information in their communities on a systematic basis and easily catch changes in the situation. This allows them to prepare materials closest to the realities of life.
“Despite the poor connection, people find an opportunity to call, tell about the news and… to thank for the newspaper,” says Andriy Fomin, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Dvorichanskyy Krai, which is published for Dvorichna, a settlement in Kharkiv region, which lies directly on the front line and not far from the russian border.
Guliaypole of the Zaporizhzhia region is also located in close proximity to the front. “The Internet there is unstable, but it is there. At least it is enough for communication in Telegram and Viber. Thanks to the posts of local residents, we know how the night and day passed in Guliaypole. We know exactly which street the russians were firing on,” says Tetiana Velyka, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Golos Guliaypillya.
The journalist also emphasizes that it is local journalists who create the best stories about people, because they are well versed in the context of the life and work of local residents, and therefore are better able to convey the meaning and peculiarities of their behavior.
In most of the front-line territories, publications have to be distributed free of charge – volunteers and local administrations help newspapermen in this.
“Once upon a time we were the founders of our local newspaper,” says Galyna Turbaba, head of the Dvorichanska settlement military administration. “Then denationalization took place, but we continued to cooperate with Dvorichanskyy Krai. In September 2022, part of our community was liberated (and the other part is still under occupation). Although the mandatory evacuation of the population was announced, some people still remain with us. They hope that they will not be forgotten. And they seek to receive not only humanitarian aid, but also information. We have no Internet at all, no permanent connection. Therefore, informing people becomes more and more problematic. If it weren’t Dvorichanskyy Krai, this would be completely impossible.”
Previously, people, seeing that guests had arrived in a village or settlement, immediately gathered in their usual places and asked the newcomers about the news. The russians noticed this, and as soon as they see such a gathering of people from the drones, they immediately shell the place. That is why this method of informing has fallen away.
“When last summer, with the help of the NUJU, it was possible to restore publication of the newspaper, people’s joy knew no bounds,” says Galyna. “People receive publications along with humanitarian aid.”
“Because of the massive russian shelling, the territories close to the contact line can no longer be called near front-line territories, they are completely front-line territories. In these conditions, the distribution of newspapers without the support of the authorities and the military is impossible,” Anatoliy Zhupyna, editor-in-chief of the Kherson newspaper Novyy Den, is convinced.
The way newspapers are distributed largely depends on the stability of the postal operator’s work.
“We distribute the newspaper in the traditional way – through postal delivery and retail,” says Tetiana Velyka, editor of Golos Guliaypillya. “We consider free distribution even in dangerous territories to be a wrong approach, because a newspaper is the work of journalists. The worst thing for a journalist is to hear: “Oh, newspaper! Free! It’s great; it will be in full swing.” Those who pay for the newspaper understand what they are paying for!… We send free copies only to the point of invincibility. In safer communities, “Ukrposhta” delivers the newspaper to homes, and in dangerous ones and in Guliaypole itself – delivers it to a certain base point.”
The editor says that she is deeply grateful to the brave women employees of “Ukrposhta”. “Once upon a time, everyone’s favorite publication was quietly delivered by postmen to their readers, but today it is delivered stealthily, hiding from the danger and shelling of a stupid neighbor,” she adds.
For 2024, 30 residents of the Guliaypilska community subscribed to Tetiana Velyka’s newspaper…
However, distribution via “Ukrposhta” is not possible everywhere. Because of systematic massive shelling, part of the frontline territories turned into almost a wasteland. The post office cannot work in such conditions, and local residents, who still remain in some places, do not have the opportunity to freely move around the town or village.
Vasyl Miroshnyk, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Zoria from Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, collects a fresh edition of his newspaper every week and single-handedly delivers it to populated areas, including right on the border with russia, directly under shelling from its territory. He does not give away copies for free, but sells them for a moderate fee. And despite the hardship, people love to buy their favorite publication…
But there are such frontline territories where no economic activity is conducted, social services do not work stably, and therefore people simply do not have funds.
“Orikhiv is being bombarded with artillery, volley fire installations, guided aerial bombs,” says Svitlana Karpenko, editor-in-chief of the Orikhiv’s Trudova Slava. “In such conditions, there is no question of a subscription.”
Even free delivery of newspapers to frontline communities is a big problem. Periodically, Svitlana delivers newspapers there herself. At other times, volunteers deliver newspapers to village and settlement councils. From there, copies are delivered to the village elders, and the latter distribute them depending on local possibilities. Some communities receive a newspaper in the regional center of Zaporizhzhia. Here part of the circulation is given to the Red Cross Society.
Oleksandr Pasichnyk, editor-in-chief of the Lyman newspaper Zoria (Donetsk region), also sees no alternative to the free distribution of the newspaper.
“If it weren’t for the support of local authorities and volunteers, residents of our settlements would not see newspapers or any other media,” he says. “Such is the war reality. Either our newspaper, or rumors, fakes and russian propaganda.”
“The post office does not work in Kupiansk, there are no subscriptions,” says Olga Poltavets, editor-in-chief of Visnyk Kupianshchyny. – Therefore, if people wanted to buy a newspaper, there is nowhere. No more than 10% of the pre-war population remained in the frontline communities. These are mostly people of a respectable age, who find it difficult to change their lives and leave, even away from shelling. Such people are waiting for the newspaper… That’s why it’s a pity that we don’t have the opportunity to increase the frequency and circulation.”
Problems with delivery and insufficient circulation in some communities are solved in a traditional way – by involving people in visiting libraries.
“We receive a number of copies from the editorial office. We distribute a part to our readers, and we bind a few copies so that as many people as possible can familiarize themselves with the newspaper,” says Larysa Puchkova, head of the Lyman town library. “People are very happy. After all, apart from our dear Zoria, there are no more media in Lyman.”
As of the beginning of 2024, thanks to the support of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and the involvement of funds from international financial donors, 30 local media have resumed printing in the frontline and de-occupied territories. Their total circulation reaches 100,000 copies.
For the significant ongoing support for the revival of frontline media, NUJU expresses special deep gratitude to our powerful partners: the International and European Federation of Journalists, UNESCO Headquarters, the Governments of Japan and Germany; Fondation Hirondelle (Switzerland) and the International Institute for Regional Media and Information (IRMI, Ukraine); Free Press Unlimited (Netherlands), Ukrainian Media Fond, Danish Union of Journalists, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF, Germany), Society of Professional Journalists (USA); Japan Offspring Fund and All-Ukrainian Charitable Foundation “Journalist Initiative”; Academy of Ukrainian Press and other reputable organizations.
“And today, despite the difficult wartime conditions, which journalists mostly do not have the opportunity to work in their native editorial office, newspapers are looking for a way to the reader,” says Sergiy Tomilenko, NUJU President. – The Ukrainian press in the frontline and de-occupied territories is a symbol of unity, faith, and inspiration of Ukrainians to fight and win. Currently, in the frontline areas, where there are problems with communications, traditional print media, which are trusted by local residents, are getting a second lease of life. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine thanks the frontline media teams for their efforts and will do everything to help them find an opportunity to survive the difficult times of war and enter peacetime stronger, modernized and ready for a dignified response to the challenges of the time.”
Maksym Stepanov & NUJU information service
The material was prepared by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine with the support of the Project ‘Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine’. Implemented by the Fondation Hirondelle (Switzerland) and IRMI, the Institute for Regional Media and Information (Ukraine). Funded by the Swiss Solidarity Foundation.
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