“It is easier for online publications to work compared to printed media, as they do not have problems with paper, printers, and delivery of newspapers to readers, says Ivanna Rudyshyn,” the editor-in-chief of the VolynPost news agency. “But in the first days of the large-scale invasion by Russian troops, online publications, like everyone in Ukraine, were confused, could not figure out how to work further…”
“… And then we took part in a gender media forum organized by Bohdana Stelmakh, the Head of the Lviv Journalists’ Solidarity Center, listened to the speeches presented by journalists and realized that our situation is not as deplorable as we thought,” says Ivanna. “It is ten times more difficult for newsrooms working in front-line territories, regions under enemy fire, and those under temporary occupation.
In 2022, the online edition of VolynPost did not undergo significant transformations. The only thing that has changed is that the photographer now works not in the staff, but on a fee basis. In this way, the editors save a little money on salaries.
“Of course, the war leaves its heavy mark on the media industry, but at the same time, with its challenges, it encourages for more active actions, opens up many opportunities. Previously, to be honest, we were not very interested in grant programs, cooperation with various foundations,” says the editor. “Now, we already know that if you have a portfolio, a serious improvement, you can apply and receive a personal scholarship. They opened up an opportunity to receive financial support from international organizations, if they see the successful work of the media, its desire and ability to continue its activities.
Ivanna Rudyshyn says that she has an interesting history of support from the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), cooperation with the Laboratory of Public Interest. In particular, in a difficult time of confusion at the beginning of the Russian invasion, she received support and a lot of good advice on how to act in such conditions, from President of the NUJU Sergiy Tomilenko. She says that the employees of the editorial office are also grateful for the involvement of their news agency VolynPost in the projects with f the NUJU.
Later, in the summer of 2022, the publication’s team established a non-governmental organization called Raw Information. They didn’t even think about this before, but now, they understand they need to look for grant donor support. The publication’s form of organization as a private enterprise does not provide such an opportunity, so we decided to create a public organization. The project was supported by the Black Sea Regional Cooperation Fund, and now, due to the grant received through the public organization, there is an opportunity to improve the material and technical support of the information agency.
“Now, we are interested in various projects, grants, trainings, scholarships, because we clearly see that all projects are carried out by the NUJU and other media foundations not for own PR,” says the editor. “Everything entails significant help, so you should not be afraid and not be lazy to get involved in work on projects.”
Olha Voitsekhivska, Journalist of Ukraine
