UKRAINE+

challenge

In the grip of SDS formula

What does modern Ukrainian media write and talk about? In most cases, their content follows the SDS rule – sex, death, scandal. In this environment, tabloid news and entertainment programs force socially important topics out of Ukraine’s information space. Can this be changed?

solution

Going out of the box of usual topics and characters

The first and only Ukrainian female chaplain who exchanged the serenity of a monastery for the hell of a military hospital. A boy with ICP whose dream was to see the ocean - and who rode to it on a bicycle. An IT worker who saves homeless dogs and cats that are abandoned and crippled in his free time. A female volunteer who helps save Ukrainian prisoners captured by combatants.

One after another, such stories emerged in the media – stories about alternative energy and urbanism, health care and innovative agriculture. These socially important topics were produced and presented in ways that would appeal to a mass audience.

All of this was possible because of our diligent work and guidelines we created on developing and presenting media topics for 10 regional and national outlets, all of which received micro grants for creating multimedia content.

outcome

New agenda for the media

The creation of over 100 content items on relevant topics helped the mass media to attract new audiences. In addition to this, a new agenda for the media is now emerging – with new values and milestones.

Since the beginning of the war, a sense of pride and dignity among Ukrainians unfolded with a new energy. In order to understand ourselves as a united and strong nation, we have to overcome social apathy and disbelief in our own abilities. And it is the mass media that can play the key role here. The Ukraine+ project has helped the media understand and successfully carry out an important mission: to develop active civic awareness in Ukraine.

We’ve also added a new component to our efforts – The Neighbors, a series of multimedia stories which tell about the everyday lives of people in Ukraine and its neighbors, Georgia and Moldova. These topics are presented as longreads and documentaries with high-quality photos and videos, infographics, interactive maps, comments from relevant experts, stories and quotes from residents and local characters. Every story is unique, but they all depict context, problems, and solutions that are relevant for all three countries.