The webinar, titled “Ukrainian Media: Defiance and Truth” dedicated to discussing ways to support media in Ukraine has concluded. Participating in it were the instructors of the Department of Journalism and Philology of the Faculty FPSC, SumDU: Anna Chernysh, Maryna Sadivncha and Olena Ishchenko.
The organizers and members of the “Network of Ethical Journalism” (NEJ) emphasized the need for quality media education which requires modernization by fostering skills in analyzing, reporting, editing, and effectively using information technology. Alongside improving media education they discussed important issues regarding the protection of journalists in times of war, principles of ethical coverage of military topics and the necessity of supporting media by international journalistic communities.
In the discussion on the Ukrainian media continuum during the war period, participants included NEJ president Eidan Vait, Zhanna Kavelie (Reporters Without Borders), Zhan-Pol Martoz (human rights expert), Tom Lo (Deputy Director of the Global Forum for Media Development), Andrii Kulykov (Chair of the Ethics Commission of Ukraine), Lina Kushch (First Secretary of the National Union of Journalists), and Adelin Khulin (Coordinator of the UNESCO “Freedom of Expression/ EU Partnership” project).
Lina Kushch analyzed the challenges and dangers faced by Ukrainian journalists due to recent acts of terrorism by Russians in Ukraine, including the sabotage of the Kakhovska Hydroelectric Power Station and the creation of a nuclear disaster threat at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. Andrii Kulykov emphasized that the war in Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014, so it is essential for the media to portray it not as a new conflict but as a protracted and enduring one, adhering to the principle of “complete truth” to prevent misinterpretations or omissions.
Journalists representing European media stressed the importance of journalists providing psychological support to victims effectively using sources of psychosocial support and informing the public about numerous assistance programs, combating propaganda and disinformation and more.
Participants of the “Ukrainian Media: Defiance and Truth” project after discussing significant challenges in journalism concluded that Ukrainian media today, more than ever, require the support of communities in forming a unified platform to resist lawlessness and illegal actions by the aggressor country.
By representing the #the_best_faculty_in_the_galaxy at the international webinar, our representatives gained knowledge essential to their professional work in preparing future journalists.
