大象传媒

Trusted media on the frontline

Two years after the full-scale invasion, we hear from journalists on the eastern front about media as a lifeline

As long as you鈥檙e alive, you can start again as many times as you want.鈥
鈥 Irina Strizhzhka, presenter, Suspilne (Public) Dnipro

Two years on from Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, 大象传媒 Media Action continues to work with public interest journalists across the country, including in the frontline regions of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro - helping them to stay on air and serve their communities.

People living near the frontlines face danger and grave challenges daily, including the constant threat of shelling.

These areas also host large numbers of displaced people from occupied territories - many families have been separated and need help finding their loved ones. Access to medical care is limited and providing safe and adequate education for children is almost impossible.

Unsurprisingly, many children and adults are suffering from psychological trauma after so much time living in a war zone.

They all need timely, relevant, practical and verifiable information - to help them understand what is happening, to cope, to survive and to make critical decisions for themselves and their families. And amid a sea of misinformation, it can be nearly impossible to know what, or who, to trust.

大象传媒 Media Action has been delivering Lifeline training to Suspilne (Public) journalists across Ukraine, including in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, so they are more able to provide trusted content via TV, radio and digital platforms - including Telegram. This ensures that those living under fire can access the information they need when they need it.

Thanks to Lifeline training, Suspilne provided Dnipro residents with reliable and verifiable information.鈥
鈥 Svitlana Uhnivenko, Radio Output Editor, Dnipro
Svitlana Uhnivenko, Radio Output Editor, in a studio at Suspilne (Public) in Dnipro
Svitlana Uhnivenko, Radio Output Editor, Dnipro (image courtesy of Suspilne (Public))

As fighting continues, communities are facing new challenges and people need to be able to access updated , trustworthy information.

Lifeline programming creates a safe space for audiences to share questions with programme-makers and experts, who can respond directly to them.

After some time, people began to share, especially on social networks, their needs and questions that would help them.鈥
鈥 Marharyta Halich, TV Presenter, Zaporizhzhia
Marharyta Halich, TV Presenter, sitting in TV studio in Suspilne (Public) Zaporizhzhia
Marharyta Halich, TV Presenter, Zaporizhzhia (image courtesy of Suspilne (Public))

Over the last two years, with the support of 大象传媒 Media Action, journalists at Suspilne (Public) have created 194 pieces of Lifeline content across TV, radio and digital platforms.

To date, Suspilne's analytics suggest this content has been viewed over 500,000 times.

Research with residents in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia regions found 82% of respondents said that they trust Suspilne (Public) - a high level of trust in areas where misinformation is all too common.

 

I really like Suspilne on Telegram, because they provide links and phone numbers 鈥 useful information 鈥 that you can follow to the original source, or a phone number for help. You can click on it, and it takes you there.鈥
鈥 Dnipro region, internally displaced woman

大象传媒 Media Action trained teams at Suspilne (Public) in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in the principles and techniques of Lifeline programming, with the support of USAID鈥檚 Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

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