How do the media, editorial teams, and audiences, divided by the war, rebuild their relationships? How do we learn about the newly emerged information needs and social cleavages? These questions were addressed at a roundtable in Kyiv, where the findings of the sociological research “Reconnecting Audiences: Understanding the Role of Local Media in Promoting Social Cohesion” were presented and discussed. The research focused on 23 hromadas the grantees of the “Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine” project come from.
The roundtable gathered journalists, embassy representatives, donor organizations, and experts. The focus of the research, and thus the discussion, was on social cohesion, which tends to be growing into a pressing need for Ukrainian society, and on the role the media can play in strengthening social cohesion and in bridging the divides. How can the media operate under conditions of hromadas’ forced mobility? How do the media meet the demand for quality journalism and critical updates during wartime? How to close coverage gaps?
The research involved 49 focus group interviews and surveyed 2,391 respondents. Besides the general report, each editorial team received a report for each of the target hromadas. There was an important educational component to the research. The grantee newsrooms were involved in developing the research tools and discussing the research process at each stage of the initiative. The project aims to bring editorial teams closer to their communities, regularly studying their problems and needs. Concurrently during the training sessions the grantees learned to make use of the existing sociological tools to be applied at their workplace.
Key discussion topics included people’s attitudes towards social cohesion, the lack of full-fledged public dialogue, including engagement with the government, and the need for solution journalism. There was also talk about boosting critical thinking to be able to recognize fakes, etc. The journalists found themselves exposed to unexpected findings that were at odds with their assumptions about public opinion and social media discussions. However, the main takeaway was the relatively high trust in local media compared to national media and the need for more hromada-focused local news.
Trust breeds accountability. Therefore, a brainstorming session was held during the training that started immediately after the roundtable. Proposals were developed to adjust strategies and thematic plans based on the research findings. Not only should topics related to social cohesion take a prominent place, but also actions aimed at greater social responsibility of the media, improving communications with audiences, and more effective engagement with hromadas.
Mogens Schmidt, IRMI Chairman:
- The highly qualified report on the role local media can play in social cohesion was translated into editorial strategy and journalistic practice. Community building, public dialogue, and countering misinformation and disinformation are its key elements. I am impressed by the diligence, resilience, and courage of the journalists, most of whom represent local front line media. Despite this, they constantly strive to improve and serve their audience as best they can.
Sandra Fontaine, Program Manager at the Irondelle Foundation:
- Trust is the foundation of this process. As the research shows, while hromadas have a high level of trust in local media, they still expect more from the media, especially in combating disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech. I would like to express special thanks to the “Operational Sociology” research team and our twenty-three media partners who recognized the potential of this project and contributed to the preparation of the final research. May it serve as a practical tool and editorial compass that enhances the newsrooms’ social mission and promotes the development of an inclusive, participatory democracy where no Ukrainian citizen is left behind.
Oleksandra Deineko, Project Researcher:
- The research serves as a “roadmap” of some kind for local media to reconnect with their audiences during wartime. It has a practical component and provides a list of topics that local media can develop to enhance social cohesion in their hromadas, as well as highlights topics that are not sufficiently communicated at the local level. We hope that the findings will inform the media strategies of the project’s partners in the future.
The research has been published and can be useful to anyone interested in social cohesion and the role of the media in social cohesion enhancement. The roundtable and training on implementing its results are part of the “Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine” project IRMI has been implementing together with Fondation Hirondelle with the financial support of Swiss Solidarity.
