Ukrainian media are agents of change despite war - Internews Network president

Espreso reports.

"Ukraine has always been an agent of change," said Jeanne Bourgault, recalling the 1991 referendum on the country's independence. She also emphasized Internews' long-standing cooperation with Ukraine, which began in 1994.

According to Burgo, Ukrainian media continue to innovate even in difficult conditions. As an example, she cited the introduction of the concept of "solutions journalism" under the USAID program, which led to 80 small grants to regional media across the country.

The Internews president noted Ukraine's significant legislative achievements in the media sphere, including the creation of public broadcasting and the adoption of a new media law. "This law not only meets European standards, but in some respects even surpasses them," she emphasized.

Bourgault paid special attention to the challenges faced by Ukrainian media during the war. She cited the example of a media outlet from Mariupol that is currently working with three different audiences: internally displaced persons, refugees abroad, and people in the occupied territories.

"This community has lost too many talented, wonderful people in this war. People whose loss cannot be compensated for," she said, paying tribute to the fallen journalists.

Despite these challenges, the president of Internews expressed her admiration for the resilience of Ukrainian media professionals: "You inspire us every day by the way you keep working, by achieving great things, by holding Russian soldiers accountable for their crimes, by holding the Ukrainian government accountable to the people, by continuing to do your job by reporting the truth.”

The National Media Talk conference takes place on September 19-20 in Kyiv. The conference brings together representatives of the media community, government and civil society to discuss topical issues of media development in Ukraine in the context of war and on the path to European integration.