THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
“The war destroys the usual way of life and plans for the future”
Olha Smetanska became the first Ukrainian trend editor shortly before the start of the full-scale invasion. She managed to interview Pierre Cardin, Pierre Richard, Maurice Hennessy, Ford Coppola, Rajendra Pachauri, and Dan Shechtman. On March 12, 2022, the journalist planned to hold the first fashion brunch in one of the greatest restaurants in Kyiv. The event was widely advertised, and among the guests were “the entire Ukrainian bohemia, and, suddenly, the war occurred.
“On February 24, we all woke up to the terrible reality of air raid alerts, explosions, bomb shelters… The war burst into our lives like a dreadful dream. But it was not a dream. I remembered my interview with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rajendra Pachauri, who, during our conversation, quoted Mahatma Gandhi: ” The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed” I thought about it all the time, as well as how to live on because the war destroys everything in its path the usual way of life and plans for the future,” says Olha.
“I started talking about talented compatriots who, despite the war, continue to create beauty”
For many people, it was important not to fall for despair, not to give up. Olha admits that she was no exception. The mention of the fact that she had already had to go through the difficult test of the pandemic helped her not to lose heart. A lot of media then found themselves in a severe crisis; some closed down. Then, Olha Smetanska initiated the project called The World After The Pandemic in the Fakty publication, which was noted by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU). It was a very resonant series of interviews with famous people.
“After the start of the full-scale invasion, again, I thought about what relevant projects I could offer the readers in the same way as when the pandemic began. While staying in Ukraine, I saw that people need psychological help. By the way, those who were forced to leave their home and go abroad, too. So, my first project in Fakty was a series of professional psychological advice. Readers thanked them because the advice helped. And then I started talking about talented compatriots who, despite the war, continue to create beauty that finds admirers in many countries,” our interlocutor continues.
Recently, Olha interviewed famous Chernihiv confectioner Olena Zibert, awarded the highest award at the international confectionary competition in Great Britain, equivalent to a culinary Oscar.
“Olena creates the most beautiful gingerbread houses in the world. It is known how difficult the situation was in Chernihiv at the beginning of the war, but the confectionery continued to work. The main message of my interviews is that people should create beauty, not destroy it. It is talented progressive individuals who determine the vectors of world development, and they are the ones who create the new trends that I write about,” says the journalist.
“All my interviews are always forward-looking”
In addition to lifestyle trends, Olha Smetanska studies media trends. In her opinion, new global challenges have influenced and continue to influence journalism, which is undergoing a total transformation. Nowadays, a new direction – Future-journalism – is being born.
“This is a block of topics that will determine the future development of a society that strives to live in a world without wars, pandemics, and ecological disasters. Among the thematic directions are climate, energy efficiency, innovations in IT, ad artificial intelligence,” Smetanska continues. “Trend editor is another new and promising niche in journalism, and we should not lag behind this progress. That is why I remain faithful to this topic, to which I have been going for many years, communicating with the creators of world-famous brands, trend analysts, and leading experts in the field of design, fashion, and gastronomy. Perhaps my experience will also inspire colleagues to stay in the profession and move forward even during the war”.
Olha didn’t stop looking for opportunities for self-improvement: last year, she received advanced training in Germany’s leading media under the auspices of the University of Leipzig. New knowledge, in her opinion, is always inspiring, as are the talented individuals she was lucky enough to communicate with.
“I am very grateful to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), as well as personally to NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko and NUJU First Secretary Lina Kushch, for supporting journalists in this difficult time. It is very important. All my interviews are always forward-looking. A few years ago, I had the good fortune to speak with the legendary Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs, and Steve Wozniak said, “I’ve always had an incredible desire to make this world a better place.” Since then, these words have become my life and professional philosophy,” emphasized Olha Smetanska.
JOURNALISTS ARE IMPORTANT. Stories Of Life And Work In War Conditions is a cycle of materials prepared by the NUJU team with the support of the Swedish human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.
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