Selection Results of the project "Political Journalism Development for Building a Healthy Democratic Ecosystem in Ukraine"

In December 2025, the Ukrainian Media and Society Fund (UMSF), implemented by Internews Ukraine, with the support of Switzerland, launched a one-year project worth 280,000 Swiss francs or approximately 15.7 million Ukrainian hryvnias entitled "Political journalism development for building a healthy democratic ecosystem in Ukraine".

The overall project goal is to strengthen independent Ukrainian media’s capacity to foster quality political journalism contributing to a healthy information ecosystem through a political dialog in challenging times.

At a moment when disinformation, political polarization, and war fatigue threaten public trust, independent and professional political journalism plays a vital role in ensuring accountability, transparency, and informed civic participation. By strengthening analytical capacity of the Ukrainian media to cover complex political processes responsibly, the project contributes to resilient democratic institutions, safeguards pluralism, and reinforces Ukraine’s path toward democratic governance and European integration.

“Independent, professional and diverse journalism is a cornerstone of a resilient democracy, especially in times of war. Switzerland is pleased to support this initiative that enables Ukrainian media to continue providing citizens with reliable information, in-depth political analysis, and a platform for democratic dialogue. Through this project, we aim to contribute to the quality and sustainability of political journalism in Ukraine, thereby supporting a healthy information ecosystem and the country’s democratic future,” said Jonas Wolfensberger, Deputy Head of Political, Economic and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.

Switzerland has been a long-standing partner of Ukraine in supporting its democratic institutions. Through its programmes, it works with Ukrainian partners to strengthen democratic participation, transparency, accountability and inclusive public dialogue.

The project has two objectives:

To raise public demand for quality political dialogue through increased media coverage of political processes during Russia’s war against Ukraine and in the recovery period.
To improve financial sustainability of independent media that contributes to political journalism through the development of innovative business models (subscription, advertising, membership, side activities, among others).

The following 18 Ukrainian media outlets were selected to receive support through the project following a competitive grant selection process:

UMSF received over 100 applications from media outlets and non-government organizations across Ukraine. Following an independent evaluation process, the UMSF Supervisory Board selected 18 organizations with solid capacity, and a clear commitment to developing political journalism in Ukraine.

About the Ukrainian Media and Society Fund, UMSF (Internews Ukraine)

The Fund assists independent media and information organizations in securing grant resources, provides educational opportunities, conducts media research, and implements projects for strengthening Ukrainian media and civil society sector and facilitating Ukraine’s EU accession.

The Ukrainian Media and Society Fund is based on the capacities of the "Internews Ukraine" NGO, which possesses 30 years of experience in the media sector and has successfully implemented over 800 projects. Founded in 1996, Internews Ukraine quickly became a reliable partner for media, journalists, and non-governmental organizations striving to enhance information resilience, reduce risks of information manipulations, and promote democratic values.

For media enquiries and further information, please contact grants@internews.ua.