New Phase, Consistent Priorities: Call for Applications

We are launching a new phase of the “Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine” project – to carry on with our commitment to providing high-quality editorial support and funding to facilitate the production of critically important content during the war.

The “Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine” effort has engaged dozens of Ukrainian editorial offices and hundreds of journalists since its start in April 2022. The project has been implemented by IRMI together with Fondation Hirondelle (Switzerland) and with financial support from Swiss Solidarity.

The project’s key focus areas remain social cohesion, professional content production, and humanitarian issues. The project will be of interest for editorial offices that seek to better understand their audiences, expanding the reach, and strengthening the linkages.

Each media outlet will receive mentoring support to produce two substantial publications per month on key topics such as social cohesion, access to humanitarian aid, recovery, security, and justice during wartime.

Among the project’s activities are tailored training sessions covering topics like working with information sources, journalism standards, tools for investigating war crimes, mobile journalism, and other. The project will also support the participants with procuring pertinent professional equipment if needed. Monthly financial support of 1,000 Swiss francs (in the hryvnia equivalent) for content production on the specified topics is envisaged for each of the participating media outlets. Ad-hoc consultations and mentoring support will also be  provided.

The project’s activities are to be delivered by a team of trainers, mentors, and consultants – Ukrainian and international media experts with extensive professional experience.

As part of selection process 18 regional, local, and hyperlocal media outlets will be selected on a competitive basis, 14 of which have already participated in previous stages of the project.

To apply, please fill out the online application form (https://forms.gle/Uq5VVWKmH917rJe17), which includes a motivational section.

Application deadline: January 28, 2025.

Finalists will be notified by February 7, 2025.

Additional information about the project and other media support opportunities is available on our Facebook page.

The Guardian – on Importnance of Supporting Regional Media in Ukraine

The Guardian writes about the Vpered media from Bakhmut and the importance of regional media, especially during wartime. The media that are keeping up the sense of belonging to a country, countering misinformation and disinformation.

For the recent two years the Bakhmut media outlet has been one of a few regional media that has received regular financial, technical and professional support – from IRMI and our partners from Fondation Hirondelle

We are happy to be able to preserve and reinforce the operational capacity of local print and broadcast media. 

The actual article is linked here

To be continued. 

A Smartphone Instead of a Camera: How to Create Professional Videos

How can MOJO techniques help us tell stories? Stories that concern society, particularly issues of social cohesion. So, a training session has started for media professionals who want to master mobile journalism skills and create great professional stories using just a smartphone.

We are spending three days in Lviv. The format of the MOJO training, as always, includes discussing new topics and practicing them during workshops. Representatives from regional and central media – newspaper journalists, TV reporters, and radio journalists – have joined the training. We are learning how to shoot and edit stories without using professional equipment – it turns out, it is entirely possible. At the beginning, we talked about shooting principles and framing basics, camera apps, and working with a video editor. We also covered communication ethics, critical thinking, and sensitive topics. We learned how to work properly with a tripod, lighting, and microphone. The training also included advanced shooting techniques, how to create a worthy story, and working with anonymous sources. We discussed stand-ups and leads, Vox Populi, using interviews, live sound, and video in stories. Additionally, we learned how to work with voice-over text, music, edit sound, overlay voice on video, create captions, and adhere to copyright laws.

Participants of the MOJO training tackled current topics, wrote scripts, prepared questions, and planned shots. Then, they logically moved on to producing stories, which included editing, transcribing interviews, recording voice-overs, adding captions, and everything else previously discussed.

The completed stories participated in a traditional run-through. Apart from voting the winners the participants also discussed the strengths, weaknesses and improvement opportunities of the produced content.

Zhanna Dutchak, Inter TV Channel:

– These three days just flew by. Why? In the first place, the information offered has been very interesting. There was a combination of theory and practice – the theory that the trainers offered we immediately put into practice. I really plan to use all of this in my workplace.

Tetiana Khmel, Suspilne.Zhytomyr:

– I am a TV journalist and theoretically understand how it works when you have a camera person next to you, and you tell them that this or that shot is not as it should be. But when you do the shooting yourself, it’s a completely differentstory. So, the shooting skills were probably the most important for me these days. Another point: there is a big problem with personnel, and finding a professional camera person who will shoot here and now is very difficult. And now I understand that I can “cover” some of the shooting myself – just take the in-house phone and go for it.

Iryna Telka, Mykolaiv News:

– I like that you chose a very relevant topic – mobile journalism, which is actually gaining momentum now. Editorial offices get the opportunity, for example, to monetize videos and strengthen their financial independence. This training was dynamic, offered us many technical aspects that I had not used before but found very interesting and plan to practice.

The training was held as part of the project “Covering Social Cohesion – Strengthening the Capacity of the Media in Ukraine”, developed and implemented by the Institute of Regional Media and Information in partnership with UNESCO and supported by the state of Japan. The program is part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to support the safety of journalists and freedom of expression in Ukraine. Our partners in the project are the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU) and the public organization “Promotion of Intercultural Cooperation”. UNESCO Ukraine

Study Trip to Denmark for Ukrainian Journalists

February 2025 will mark the third year of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since February 2022, Ukrainian journalists have worked around the clock with great courage and unquenchable energy to cover the developments and consequences of the war to ensure that the rest of the world knows what is happening.

As a continuation of the Nordic Journalist Centre’s (NJC) commitment to arrange midcareer training for journalists in Ukraine, we can now offer our Ukrainian colleagues a study visit to Denmark in February 2025, where they can exchange experiences and methods and gain new inspiration through meetings with journalists in Denmark. Our local Ukrainian partner in this project is Institute for Regional Media and Information (IRMI Ukraine).

The study trip focuses on independent journalism, press ethics, sustainable business models and digital transformation with visits to media, educational institutions etc. There will also be an opportunity to meet Danish politicians in the Danish parliament.

Practical information

The study trip will take place from 16-22 February 2025. Applicants must be professional journalists with at least five years of work experience. The Nordic Journalist Centre will cover the journey from Lviv to Denmark and back as well as hotel and partial catering in Denmark. The participants must cover their own transport from Lviv and back as well as a few meals in Copenhagen.

If you are interested to participate, please submit this application form no later than 20 December 2024, 17:00 Ukrainian time.

https://forms.gle/ir3W916WBDDwTMu38

This application form must be submitted in English. Selected participants will be informed by 8 January, 2025.

About the Nordic Journalist Centre

The Nordic Journalist Centre is a non-profit organization founded in 1957. Our aim is to strengthen the development of media and journalism through midcareer training and networking activities for journalists and editors from all over the Nordic region as well as the neighboring Nordic areas, including the Baltics and Ukraine.

Contact information

Project coordinator Kirstine Ottesen, kio@dmjx.dk

MOJO Lab and the Story Behind It

The MOJO Lab in Lviv gathered the journalists of ten media outlets – the participants of the “Covering Social Cohesion – Strengthening the Capacity of the Media in Ukraine” project IRMI has been implementing together with Fondation Hirondelle and under financial support of Swiss Solidarity. They have realised the value and used the opportunities the mobile journalism has to offer, and are willing to level up their skills. 

This is the first time the training format is being offered: initially, journalists gathered information as part of their training. This involved traveling across Ukraine, meeting with subjects, and mastering topics they chose themselves. Now, they are working on their stories, preparing them for publication/broadcast in their media outlets. The focus is on issues addressed by humanitarian missions in Ukraine. The effective post-production phase will last three days, during which four trainers – Ukrainian (Angelina Soldatenko and Yuriy Vasilyev) and international (Sabra Ayres, the USA,and Luke Chalenko, the UK) – will support the journalists during practical training. We start with discussing the stories and the footage already shot, talking about additional shooting techniques, editing, and the rules for writing voice-over text. We assess the material we have, how to use it most effectively, and what shots are missing and need to be filmed.

Additional city shoots, editing, and voice-over preparation – the last two days have been super-intensive. According to the trainers, the stories produced demonstrate a high professional level, based on the journalists’ interest in MOJO and their willingness to improve their skills.

Yuriy Vasyliev, IRMI trainer:

-MOJO has become a lifesaving mechanism for many editorial offices. Transitioning to a multimedia format and using mobile journalism helps retain audiences and editorial teams. Even newspaper journalists, who previously didn’t have websites, let alone YouTube channels, are now creating great video stories. These techniques are not very complicated and are accessible. They allow for flexibility and mobility. I remember at the beginning of the training, some media professionals said they didn’t see prospects for MOJO in their editorial offices. Now, they are developing mobile journalism – adding videos to newspapers via QR codes, offering links to YouTube channels. They are preparing full-fledged stories that can even be broadcast on television. This latest training format is unusual for both participants and trainers. But we have the opportunity to see the problems journalists face during filming, story structure, and script development, and we can achieve a quality result together. I think this is very useful.

Angelina Soldatenko, IRMI director, trainer:

-New formats and techniques help preserve editorial offices and build new relationships with audiences. Visualization increases trust in content and media, giving print (multimedia) a new chance for development. Trust is becoming a key concept these days: when people live in conditions of danger, it is very important to have those they trust nearby. We have been working with this group of journalists for two years, and some of them did not believe in the possibilities of MOJO at the beginning of the training. And now they are participating in a production training for advanced users! The progress is obvious, and the stories are very worthy.

Luke Chalenko, trainer (UK):

-This is my second time participating in the project. Over the past six months, the technical skills of the journalists and the quality of the videos have changed significantly. Now they can be placed on media platforms and the Internet with confidence – as they are really great. I noticed the confidence level of the participants has increased too: they are ready to interview and film people, think about stories, and choose shooting locations. I think it is very important to have a meaningful story and research it well. However, solid journalistic skills are the foundation of what we do.

Sabra Ayres (USA), project mentor, trainer:

-This is the second MOJO intensive training after two basic ones. Now the difference in video quality is really noticeable. The participants’ technical level has increased significantly, the videos have become more professional, structured, the storylines have got stronger. I think the participants are on the right track.

 The training was part of the project “Coverage of Social Cohesion – Strengthening the Capacities of Ukrainian Media”, IRMI has been implementing together with Fondation Hirondelle and financial support of Swiss Solidarity.

We have winners of the mini-grants competition

As part of the “Covering social cohesion – Strengthening the Capacity of the Media in Ukraine” project.

Here are the details. The mini-grants Selection Committee received applications from nearly a hundred newspapers, TV channels, and radio stations. Fifteen candidates were successful – selected per the terms of the competition. Mini-grants will therefore be awarded to the journalists of the following media:

“Kremenchutskyi Telegraph”;

“Vest”;

“Visti Prydniprovja”;

“MykVisti”;

“Hrechka”;

“Thebuchacity”;

“Status Quo”;

“Hard.City”;

“Mykolaivski VISTI”-“Rozdillia 93FМ”;

“Nove Zhyttia” newspaper / website “Nove Zhyttia” – Novyny Liubeshivshchyny”;

“Horodotskyi Raionnyi Teleradiopresscentre”;

“Trostianets” Broadcasting station;

“Ekspert-KR”;

“Halychyna” Regional Broadcaster;

National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine.

15 mini-grants of 500 euros each – support for the journalists to cover topics related to social cohesion in their communities. Half of the grant will be awarded after selection and the other half after publication. The stories have to be informed by the sociological research conducted as part of the project, the journalists are to use the findings that they find relevant to the topic. In the process of preparing a story, each grantee will be supported by the project’s mentors – a journalist and a sociologist. A total of four consultations are planned.

The grants are supported by the “Covering social cohesion – Strengthening the Capacity of the Media in Ukraine” project. The project has been developed and is being implemented by the Institute for Regional Media and Information in partnership with UNESCO and supported by the state of Japan. The program is part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to support the safety of journalists and freedom of expression in Ukraine.

Our partners in the project are the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU) and the public organization “Promotion of Intercultural Cooperation”. UNESCO Ukraine

News from Project Participants: “Horodok” to broadcast from a renovated studio

“Horodok will sound anew! “– That was how our partners from the Horodok.City media announced the revamped round-the-clock broadcast from their new radio studio. We are happy for the reporters and the audience!

Horodok.City is one of the participants of the “Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine” project that IRMI has been implementing together with Fondation Hirondelle with funding from Swiss Solidarity. A very active editorial team, constantly striving for development, even under the current difficult conditions. So, when the journalists decided to renovate the radio studio, the project supported them. We also visited the editorial office and held a short MOJO workshop.

Nataliia Popovych, Editor-in-Chief, Horodok.City:

-The studio has been re-equipped with project funds. From the previous set-up we kept just the control panel, two microphones, and speakers… And it was the new studio that became the impetus for the development of radio broadcasting for us: we are updating the programming wheel, we purchased software, we are looking for a radio host to cover daily live morning broadcasts, and we are doing a complete makeover of the broadcast content. From November 14, the residents of the Horodok community will be able to enjoy their favorite music, news, and interesting programs in a 24-hour format, the announcement says. Journalists promise “diversity, interesting columns, and interactive programming.” Our greetings, dear colleagues!

We are happy to announce the third training within the “Covering Social Cohesion – Strengthening the Capacity of the Media in Ukraine” project

The topic of the training is mobile journalism. Better visualisation for better quality stories.

When: December 2-4, 2024.

Where: Lviv.

How will mobile journalism (MOJO) techniques help the media to be in demand, be effective, convincing, and to contribute to better understanding between various social groups and individuals? How to use MOJO to collect information and create content, how to communicate without deepening social cleavages in communities – that’s what we are going to tackle at the third training on highlighting social cohesion.

The agenda comprises the following:

– technical shooting skills: how to frame your shots, how to use a tripod, microphones and other equipment;

– editing rules, quick editing on a smartphone;

– interview techniques as a tool for obtaining information, principles of communication in working with sensitive topics, and developing stories using visualization.

The training includes presentations, practical work, and a feedback session.

Travel, accommodation, and meals are covered by the organizers.

Working editors and journalists from the media registered per the law of Ukraine are welcome to participate.

! Please note the minimum technical requirements:

– availability of iPhone 11/a newer iPhone model/smartphone with Android version 13 or newer (please specify the full name of the model);

– availability of up to 64 GB free space on your phone for video recording;

– availability of a wired or wireless microphone system compatible with the smartphone.

The availability of the following gear would be an asset:

–       a wireless microphone system compatible with your smartphone;

–       a (mini-)tripod with a smartphone holder for recording interviews.

The registration is open until November 18 via link

We will notify the successful applicants.

The training is part of the “Covering social cohesion – Strengthening the Capacity of the Media in Ukraine” project comprised of the following activities:

– a sociological study of Ukrainian journalists’ awareness of social cohesion, what knowledge and skills they lack, what active citizens think about the role of the media in addressing the issue;

– conducting three trainings for all media professionals interested in the topic of social cohesion;

– fifteen mini-grants to cover the preparation of stories on social cohesion;

– mentoring support for the grantees;

– a round table on the presentation of research findings and project results.

The project has been developed and is being implemented by the Institute for Regional Media and Information in partnership with UNESCO and supported by the state of Japan. The program is part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to support the safety of journalists and freedom of expression in Ukraine.

Our partners in the project are the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU) and the public organization “Promotion of Intercultural Cooperation”. UNESCO Ukraine

On Conflict-Sensitive Journalism, Ethical Standards, and Emotional Burnout

What are the ways to cover conflicts and sensitive topics? Do journalists influence these processes? In Lviv, at a training session for media professionals, mostly from regional publications, we discussed the relationship between hromadas and the media, and the coverage of sensitive topics from the perspective of professional and ethical standards.

Discussions focused on what social cohesion is, the factors that bring about social discord, and how to work with sensitive topics and identify the causes of conflicts. What are our tasks – humanitarian, informational – and how can we avoid hate speech? Should we, for example, give a voice to terrorists or criminals? During brainstorming sessions, journalists identified conflicts, sensitive topics, and their true causes, comparing these findings with those of sociologists. The focus was on conflict-sensitive journalism and its approaches.

Aliona Horova, Director of the NGO “Institute of Peace and Understanding,” trainer:

  • Journalists have immense power to shape public discourse. It is undoubtedly easier to unite people against someone. However, this approach works against us because when you create an external enemy, it quickly turns into an internal enemy—those who have left Ukraine, relocated to safer areas, or do not want to return. From conflict resolution practices standpoint, I can say that the focus should be on creating unifying narratives. We should not unite against someone but do something together to win. We are Ukrainians. Journalists are creative and can come up with many practical tools to achieve this, making such unifying narratives more accessible and practical.

Journalists must operate within the legal framework and consider ethical standards when covering social conflicts that arise in hromadas, leading to heated discussions and causing social discord. Therefore, the legal foundations of journalistic work in conditions of social conflict, covering sensitive topics during the war, and recognizing disinformation were the main topics of the last two days of the training. We interviewed a colleague, Oleksandr Hunko, editor of Nova Kakhovka.City, who shared his experience as an internally displaced person. We then discussed whether our questions were professional and justified from legal, professional, and ethical perspectives and how we use the information obtained after watching the interview recording.

During brainstorming sessions, we worked on the concept and approaches to dealing with conflicts and sensitive topics in the context of social cohesion. Equally important was the topic of emotional burnout. We practiced stabilization and self-regulation techniques to help those whose daily routine is built around emotionally challenging topics.

Ivanna Danyuk, Media Center “Pereiaslavshchyna” (Pereiaslav):

  • I heard a lot of interesting things, for example, about emotions. I often empathize with my interlocutor and transform this empathy into trust. But we must always remember the facts, the balance of opinion and voices in a story, and the impact the situation may have on other people. This is something I had not thought about. And one more thing: it is very important not to forget about ourselves, which we, journalists, do not do.

Oleksandr Hunko, Nova Kakhovka.City (Nova Kakhovka):

  • I really liked the large amount of practical work. We worked with colleagues in groups or pairs, so we had the opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences, and find solutions together.

Marianna Shkavron, Horodok District Television and Radio Press Center (Horodok):

  • These three days were very intense and diverse. It’s great that we get out of our “bubbles” and see something new. Journalists are people who should doubt and check facts. So thank you for reminding us. We know this, but sometimes we chase news so much, wanting to make it as quickly as possible, that we forget about such important matters. It was very interesting to talk to a lawyer and a psychologist, learn about conflicts and ways to resolve them, and about social cohesion. Journalists are actually people who can change something, have influence, and to some extent shape public opinion in their community, so a lot depends on us. We should not forget about this.

The training was held as part of the project “Covering Social Cohesion – Improving the Resilience of Media in Ukraine,” developed and implemented by the NGO “Institute of Regional Media and Information” in partnership with UNESCO and supported by the state of Japan. The program is part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to support the safety of journalists and freedom of expression in Ukraine. Our partners in the project are the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU) and the NGO “Promotion of Intercultural Cooperation.”

How to Gather Information and Counter Fakes: Working on Tools

It is crucial not only to conduct sociological research but also to assist journalists in understanding how to address the evolving needs and demands of their communities. What tools are available to gather comprehensive information and combat misinformation? These topics were discussed during a content workshop in Kyiv.

Sociologists claim there is a strong need for two-way engagement between citizens and government. People want to understand how state and local budget funds are allocated and spent. Therefore, experts discussed how we can use budget reporting tools and what tools and sources can be used to find information about budget expenditures. During brainstorming sessions, ideas for stories that could be produced immediately were developed, as well as identifying which tools were lacking. Additionally, there was a training session on OSINT, mapping stories using online resources, and a session on digital security.

Sabra Ayres, project mentor and trainer:

  • The sociological research conducted as part of our project showed that in each region, people want to understand how local authorities use state funding for various needs, from road repairs to building renovations. The training aimed to provide journalists with tools to prepare professional materials about local budgets and funding. We also offered a course on using internet resources for mapping stories and basic OSINT and Google Earth skills. By the end of the session, one of our participants had uploaded a map tracking the movement of North Korean troops in Russia to their website! The final session was dedicated to digital security, which is an upskilling opportunity for everyone, as Russia, China, and Iran intensify their cyberattacks worldwide.

Svitlana Ovcharenko, editor of the “Vpered” newspaper (Bakhmut):

  • The research findings were somewhat unexpected. I thought I knew well what my readers needed, but it turned out that this was not entirely the case. I understand the next steps and what tools I am going to needed.

Tetiana Luchynska, editor of the “Mayak” newspaper (Bohodukhiv):

  • I have concluded that we will use both the research findings and the information search tools to find information on budget expenditures.

Natalia Kobzar, editor, Status Quo News Agency (Kharkiv):

  • Special thanks for the research. In these three years of full-scale invasion, I have not encountered thorough studies, for example, of Kharkiv. I read national ones, and they are quite monotypical. Learning something local was very interesting and useful for us as media. Thanks also for the atmosphere at the training, the feeling that you are not alone in facing your problems.

Oleksandr Kulbaka, editor of the “Visti” newspaper (Sloviansk):

  • We learned great investigative reporting tools. Already now I am determined to write something, and I have outlined several topics for myself. It is also very important that we can publish some parts of the sociological research in our media – this is interesting not only to us but also to our readers.

The training was held as part of the “Improving Media Resilience in Ukraine” project, which IRMI has been implementing in partnership with Fondation Hirondelle with financial support from Swiss Solidarity.