Rubryka visits European forum: why it’s crucial to support Ukrainian media

Rubryka took part in the media conference of the Eastern Partnership and talked about the importance of European countries supporting Ukraine's local mass media.

The media conference of the Eastern Partnership was held at the beginning of December in Prague. The event was attended by about a hundred journalists and media specialists, including representatives of independent media from the countries of the Eastern Partnership — Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. Oleksandra Voronina, the editor of the English-language version of Rubryka, was one of those who presented Ukraine.

The Eastern Partnership is a foreign policy initiative of the European Union that covers six Eastern European countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

The conference participants discussed the most acute problems faced by the media and journalists in the countries of the Eastern Partnership, in particular in Ukraine. First of all, it is a constant fight against russian propaganda amid russia's armed attack on Ukraine, the problem of the resilience of independent media and professional journalism and ways to support it, including through the renewal of political commitments, programs, and strategies of the EU regarding independent journalism and media freedom.

Rubryka explained why supporting independent media in Ukraine is critical and why the EU needs to direct its resources to it.

In particular, covering events in Ukraine, reporting objective news about russia's war in Ukraine and its consequences for the world, and combating propaganda are some of the critical tasks of Ukrainian media that need support. But the activity and usefulness of independent media are not limited to these tasks. Thus, Oleksandra Voronina, the editor of the English-language version of Rubryka, said that even though the news dominates with the beginning of the invasion with journalists reporting on events from flashpoints, Rubryka's website continues to implement many bold projects, highlighting not only problems but also solutions to them:

"I really like that we are not afraid to develop local stories. There are many directions. But let me give you an example. We explain how communities are finding solutions in the context of war. Take, for example, the issue of environmental war crimes in Ukraine. We talk to experts. I remember the articles from our journalist who went to the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park and reported on the death of Black Sea dolphins, which are being washed ashore in huge numbers. They are protected in Ukraine, but this problem has spread to the entire Black Sea basin. We talked not only about Russia's crimes but also asked experts how to restore the ecosystem."

Documenting such cases, collecting expert opinions, and proposing real solutions to overcome the consequences of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine are among Rubryka's critical tasks today.

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