2024 is a time of global elections and significant decisions, as over 60 countries around the world are choosing their path at the polls. For Ukraine, however, there is only one choice — to continue fighting for its freedom and independence. For the tenth consecutive year, our nation stands at the forefront of defending democratic values, demonstrating incredible resilience and unity. In these challenging times, the role of independent media and truthful information is more critical than ever.

Internews Ukraine, an organization with 28 years of expertise in media, communications, education, and consulting, is committed to promoting European values in Ukraine through the development of successful media.

In the first half of 2024, we implemented 38 projects, held 127 events with 6,110 participants, produced 106 videos, and provided 35 grants and 176 grants for Ukrainian media. Here is a detailed overview of our projects during this period.

Development of Independent Media

Supporting the Sustainability of Ukrainian Media

We strengthened the resilience and capacity of Ukrainian regional and hyperlocal media to produce and distribute high-quality, truthful content by providing knowledge, modern tools, and grants. Our media sustainability support program included:

• The online school, "Digital Development and Modern Communications for Effective Media;”
• A competition for scholarship support and mentorship for selected outlets;
• The publication of materials by participants of the scholarship program.

We received 183 applications and selected 80 participants for the online school. Twenty media outlets received scholarship support.

Supporting Professional Journalism During the War

We also supported professional journalism during the ongoing full-scale invasion by enhancing the capacity of local and regional media in frontline areas to produce high-quality media content, as well as promoting media literacy skills in eastern and southern Ukraine. To achieve this, we:

• Conducted a training program for 30 journalists from regional and local media in eastern and southern Ukraine;
• Provided mentorship and financial support to 10 journalists to produce 60 multimedia materials focused on countering disinformation.

Expanding Independent Content Production

Our team also worked on the large international project, "Expanding Independent Content Production," implemented across seven countries. The project aims to strengthen a robust independent media sector in the region that resists manipulation and control by influential figures. Key components of our work in the project included:

• Researching the needs of the Ukrainian media landscape;
• Providing grant support to 12 newsrooms for developing media projects;
• Producing 10 cross-border materials in collaboration with 3 partners;
• Offering individual consultations for media partners;
• Running a cross-border exchange visit program for media partners;
• Implementing an emergency support program for project participants (Emergency Grants/Support).

As part of the project, ten Ukrainian media outlets received grants and consulting support. During this period, they produced 16 multimedia materials, reaching a total audience of about 524,000.

The sub-grantees' materials not only achieved high viewership, but also helped media partners systematically improve their work. For instance, the Bilyaivka.city team completely revamped their approach to creating visual content for social media. This led to more social media advertising orders and inspired their partners at Zhmerinka.city to enhance their visual products.

Supporting Ukraine's Post-War Recovery Through Solutions Journalism

Our team trained regional media to apply solutions journalism methods to generate ideas for Ukraine's recovery. During the project:

• Our three-day online course on solutions journalism gathered 79 participants;
• 50 individual scholarships were awarded to regional journalists to create solutions journalism stories about Ukraine’s reconstruction. These materials collectively garnered 487,285 views;
• Our communications campaign on solutions journalism and recovery received 7,335,864 views;
• Our post about our guidebook How to Write About Ukraine's Recovery in the Solutions Journalism Genre received 342,855 views. This is the first guidebook on covering recovery in the Ukrainian media landscape;
• 60 materials from 10 media outlets received 1,395,884 views;
• Two special projects in national media — Khmarochos and Rubryka — gained 312,932 views.

Development of the Media Sector and Strengthening Media Institutions

As part of our strategic priority to develop independent media, our team worked on the following areas:

1. Journalism for Change — We provided mentorship and scholarship support to 40 regional media outlets to create content aimed at promoting positive change in their regions, along with conducting research to assess the state of regional media during the war. A total of 480 scholarship-supported materials garnered 6,201,830 views. Additionally, our team conducted 40 consultations for media outlets.
2. Solutions Journalism — We provided mentorship and scholarship to regional media for creating solutions journalism content, focusing on sustainable development in Ukraine. Our training webinar drew 82 participants. The total reach of scholarship-supported materials was 605,586.
3. Fundraising — We held a webinar on fundraising, led by Olga Kudinenko, a leading expert in fundraising and founder of the Tabletochki charitable foundation, which was attended by 70 journalists and 9 fundraisers from 22 oblasts. Participants rated the webinar's usefulness on average 4.7 out of 5.
4. Linguistic Diversity — Mentorship and scholarship support were provided to media working in national minority languages. These outlets published 23 materials, receiving 39,635 views. Additionally, journalists from these outlets attended a three-day online training to improve content quality and development. The event was attended by 30 journalists from 8 oblasts, including frontline areas and Crimea.

Communications for Social Change

UkraineWorld

We continued to explain Ukraine, cover key events, and counter propaganda through our UkraineWorld.org platfrom. This multimedia project provides articles, podcasts, video explainers, analytical materials, and other products in English and other languages. Over this half-year, the team has:

• Held discussions with prominent intellectuals and historians, including Timothy Garton Ash, Nicolas Tenzer, Serhii Plokhy, and others;
• Published a series of texts by Ukrainian authors in leading online media outlets in Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and more);
• Launched a new podcast series titled Ukraine's Global Partnerships;
• Released the book Why Do They Kill Our People? Russian Invasion of Ukraine as Told by Ukrainians, containing testimonies from survivors of Russian military atrocities;
• Published and presented the Spanish translation of the book Ukraine in Histories and Stories in Spain;

The editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, Volodymyr Yermolenko, was named among the top 100 leaders of Ukraine and top 30 opinion leaders by NV.ua.

Project Media Highlights

• UkraineWorld posts on X reached 12.5 million users between January and June 2024. The page has 283,600 followers;
• Content on UkraineWorld's Facebook page was viewed 2,246,591 times;
• UkraineWorld podcasts were played 327,000 times on Soundcloud;
• The UkraineWorld YouTube channel received 58,000 views.

Communications Campaign on Compensation Mechanisms for Damaged and Destroyed Property

We provided communication support to the Ministry of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development in explaining the mechanisms for receiving compensation for damaged and destroyed property. To enhance state communication regarding the "eRecovery" program, we produced animated and documentary videos, infographics, informational materials, strategic communication documents, photo reports, and special radio projects, along with conducting training sessions, sociological research, and consultations.

Throughout the campaign, our team prepared over 47 communication products which reached millions of people, shared more than a dozen stories about housing recovery for Ukrainians, and developed a crisis communication plan. We also facilitated the Ministry's media relations through training and education initiatives.

Communications Campaign for the Aurora Platform

We implemented a communication campaign in 11 frontline regions to promote the work of the Aurora platform, which provides psychotherapeutic assistance to victims of violence, including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).

Key results of the campaign include:

• 33 materials published in regional media received 82,123 views.
• An article about the Aurora platform on hromadske.ua garnered 237,008 views.
• 10 posts on Facebook and Instagram reached 895,117 people.
• 91 posters at railway stations, 265 posters in public transportation, and 42 billboards reached 2,145,000 people.
• Our Google promotion campaign generated 4,169,462 impressions and 145,189 clicks to the Aurora website.
• Posts on Telegram and Viber received 241,761 views.

As of the end of March 2024, the campaign materials for the platform reached a total audience of 7,776,378.

Grant Competition on the Tobacco and Nicotine Consumption Epidemic

We organized a fellowship competition for regional and national media to produce materials on the tobacco consumption epidemic. This initiative aimed to raise awareness among the Ukrainian public about the widespread issue of smoking and the need for legislative changes. Articles on the competition topics were published by hubz.ua, Chas.news, rayon.in.ua, kalush.informator.ua, and Sil.media. The project achieved significant success:

• Over 3,100,000 views were garnered by the articles in the media.
• Following an interview for Sil.media about the negative impact of smoking on vascular health, the chief physician of the Poltava regional hospital wrote about the special project in his blog on the region's most visited website.
• A Facebook post by the hospital about vascular surgeon Oleksandr Bezkorovainyi received over 50 positive comments and 135 shares.

Women's Leadership for Peace and Security

With the support of UN Women in Ukraine, we implemented the project "Strengthening the Capacity of Youth and Women's NGOs in Building and Supporting Peace." We researched the needs of young Ukrainian women and organized training sessions in Chernihiv, Sumy, Dnipro, and Kropyvnytskyi, as well as educational sessions in Sumy, Zaporizhia, and Kropyvnytskyi.

Our achievements include:

• Creating a map of 22 civil society organizations across 4 target regions;
• Holding a mini-grant competition that selected 8 organizations for project implementation;
• Running a communication campaign featuring TV presenter Yana Brenzey, director of the Wild Theatre Yaroslava Kravchenko, writer Olha Kotrus, and bloggers Leonid Martynchyk and Emma Antoniuk;
• Collaborating with the online magazine Divoche.media and the popular YouTube channel Palaye;
• Producing two video explainers;
• Publishing special projects in regional media outlets Hrechka, CHEline, and 061.ua.

Thanks to sustained communication on women's rights and opportunities, our project team reached over 900,000 people. The NGOs which received mini-grants successfully implemented their projects. A total of 167 people across Ukraine participated in training sessions on UN programs, mental health, and violence prevention. Influencer videos garnered 266,252 organic views, while the video on the Palaye YouTube channel received 58,000 views.

Media projects on regional news websites were read 6,379 times, and they reached 344,558 on Instagram. Our two video explainers amassed 235,000 views.

Strengthening Stakeholders' Communication Capacity

Communication Strategies for Territorial Communities

To enhance the ability of territorial communities to effectively plan and communicate with their residents, businesses, and other stakeholders, we are developing 30 communication strategies for communities in 10 target oblasts (Volyn, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattya, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, and Chernihiv).

To address the lack of planned, continuous, and high-quality communication between local government bodies and their communities, the project team:

• Collected data on the current state of communications through surveys and development strategy analysis;
• Held 60 strategy sessions involving experts and representatives from 30 territorial communities;
• Carried out 30 community communication audits and 30 analyses of current development strategies.

Project Milestones:

• Over 200 participants from territorial communities took part in strategic sessions;
• Developed 60 working documents which will form the basis for future communication strategies.

This project is comprehensive and designed for long-term impact. Communities will not only receive ready-to-use communication strategies, but will also gain the skills to independently develop these strategies in the future. This will benefit residents, local government bodies, and the country as a whole.

Steps for Specialists: Communication for Local Governments (LGs)

Our communication experts developed and delivered the training program "Steps for Specialists: Communication for Local Governments (LGs)" to enhance professional competencies and streamline communication processes within LGs. In collaboration with the "U-LEAD with Europe" team, we organized the following for 100 selected participants from 20 oblasts:

• 5 theoretical seminars and 3 practical training sessions on strategic communications, visual communications and design, crisis communications and digital security, digital communication channels, and communicating LG success stories.
• 2 informational sessions on establishing internal communication processes within LGs.
• Following the training program, we provided participants with a brief reader on the presentation.
• For the U-LEARN platform, we developed an interactive online course on the basics of LG communication.

Some participants have already begun implementing new communication practices. They have organized a press tour, explored creating a YouTube channel, and worked on developing a community mascot.

"Made in..."

We continued to strengthen the communication capabilities of local businesses the cities of Zhytomyr, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Uzhhorod, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Bila Tserkva. To enhance the recognition of brands from these cities, as part of the "Made in..." campaign, we developed and implemented:

• an online catalog of local manufacturers for Bila Tserkva;
• radio advertisements;
• 7 animated videos about local producers from four cities;
• billboards, price tags, wobblers, posters, flyers, etc.;
• PR support for three promotional events;
• 20 promo videos for local brands in four cities;
• English updates for 80 existing videos about local brands.

Euro-Atlantic Integration

About the EU for Ukraine, about Ukraine for the EU

Our team helps communicate about the EU for Ukraine and Ukraine for the EU. We do this to raise Ukrainians' awareness about the relationship between the EU and Ukraine and its potential benefits.

• As part of our cooperation with the EU Delegation to Ukraine, we partnered in two media forums (the Lviv Media Forum and International Conference on Media Literacy), providing communication support, engaging leading experts, and organizing panel discussions, among other activities.
• We organized a press tour to Brussels for the European Union Summit, visiting key EU institutions and meeting with European officials. Following this, we received an official letter of thanks from the EU Delegation and positive feedback from participants. Journalist Maryna Danyliuk expressed her gratitude to Internews Ukraine live on Channel 5.
• We conducted two regional training sessions with 44 journalists from all over Ukraine.
• We also created design content for the social media platforms of the EU Delegation to Ukraine. From mid-January to mid-July, the Delegation's Facebook page reached 6,800,000 users, an increase of 106.8% compared to the previous six-month period. On Instagram, the total reach amounted to 3,500,000 users, a 240% increase from the previous six months.

Cultural Diplomacy: EU — Ukraine

In the project "Cultural Diplomacy: EU — Ukraine," we aimed to raise Ukrainians' awareness about the European Union and shared European values, history, and cultural heritage through cultural diplomacy. Through the use of art, we deepened knowledge about the connection between Ukraine and the EU:

• 100+ participants attended our two-day online "Artists Without Borders" workshop.
• 15 Ukrainian artists visited Berlin and Potsdam.
• 14 artists from EU countries visited Lviv and Kyiv.

After participating in the project, the participating foreign artists became ambassadors for Ukraine worldwide. conducting interviews with local media and continuing to cover events in Ukraine even after returning home.

Next Visionaries Program

Together with the Erste Foundation, we launched the Next Visionaries Program, a cutting-edge academic initiative focused on European integration, leadership, and innovation for Ukrainian youth. This 10-month program equips young participants with the knowledge and skills to become key drivers of European integration, sustainable development, and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. The program includes:

• Over 45 lectures from 15 international speakers.
• Work on final projects aimed at finding practical solutions to the current challenges of European integration.
• Development of personal leadership growth programs.
• Three events, including an educational and cultural visit to Vienna.

The program received over 240 applications during the selection process, with 8 candidates competing for each spot. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate for 180 study hours (6 ECTS credits).

Countering Russian Disinformation and Propaganda

Raising Awareness and Building Resilience Against Disinformation About the EU in Ukraine

We assisted local media in identifying and debunking falsehoods about the EU that were spreading in their regional information spaces. This effort helped increase media literacy, trust in the EU, and support for Ukraine's integration process with the European Union. During the project:

• We conducted media monitoring across various oblasts to track disinformation and fake news about Ukraine-EU relations. As a result, local journalists published 18 articles debunking Russian disinformation.
• We organized three regional training sessions: "Data Analysis: How to Detect and Counter Disinformation on Social Media" in Vinnytsia, "Fact-Checking and Methods for Detecting Disinformation Campaigns" in Lutsk, and "Countering Disinformation About Ukraine-EU Cooperation and Current AI Issues" in Kyiv.
• Forty participants attended the "Eurointegration Without Disinformation" hackathon, where they brainstormed and worked on project ideas to combat Russian disinformation. Detector Media released a major feature on the hackathon, and participants shared over 20 positive reviews online.

Research on the Impact of Russian Propaganda

Our team also investigated the causal relationship between Russian propaganda/disinformation and its war crimes in Ukraine. We conducted an information campaign to disseminate the results of this research by creating analytical articles, video interviews, and infographics.

• The campaign achieved 1,905,718 reach on social media.
• Publications in national media were viewed 11,871 times.
• An English-language analytical article on UkraineWorld reached 55,637 people.

The total reach of the information campaign amounted to 1,973,226.

Enhancing the Resilience of Ukrainian Media Against Russian Information Attacks

We also strengthened practical knowledge, interaction, and experience exchange among experts and journalists to counter the impacts of Russian disinformation. To raise awareness and information resilience among representatives of regional media networks and their target audiences, we:

• Launched a mentoring program for journalists from 8 media outlets across various oblasts.
• Conducted a needs assessment for media on countering disinformation.
• Organized 4 webinars.
• Published 8 jointly-prepared materials to combat disinformation.
• Implemented a joint information campaign, #FactsAgainstFakes, which included the animated videos, infographics, video clips, and a quiz on countering disinformation. The campaign’s videos garnered 2,301,863 views on Facebook and 581,578 on Instagram. The interactive quiz achieved 105,841 views.

Combating Russian Propaganda on Telegram

We also countered Russian propaganda on Telegram by enhancing practical knowledge, interaction, and exchange of experiences among experts and journalists in Ukraine and Belarus.

1. We established a three-tiered Telegram network consisting of:

• Experts in countering disinformation
• Administrators and journalists from Belarusian and Ukrainian Telegram channels
• Active users

This network involved 30 Telegram channels (22 from Ukraine and 8 from Belarus), including channels from frontline regions.

2. We conducted and published a study in three languages titled "Invasion of Consciousness: Two Years of Malicious Information Operations in Ukraine and Belarus."
3. We created and disseminated 10 guides on countering disinformation for media professionals.

The project's publications achieved impressive results: a post from the 24 Channel garnered over 45,000 views within the first day, while a post from the channel What About Russia received over 28,000 views.

National Network of Media Literacy Clubs

We continued to build the national network of media literacy clubs aimed at teaching people how to navigate the information space, critically evaluate information, and effectively engage in the media world. To enable more individuals to recognize disinformation and manipulative content in media, as well as to foster similar local initiatives, we:

• Established and organized the activities of 10 media literacy clubs in Sumy, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kropyvnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Zakarpattya Oblasts.
• Conducted a communication campaign titled "Disinformation Hunters."
• Organized a media literacy training session, along with project management and fundraising training for club leaders.
• Held online meetings for leaders and club participants every two weeks.
• Conducted online and offline events in 10 cities across Ukraine.
• Our social media posts reached 869,000 views, with a total reach of 702,000.

Strengthening Truth, Transparency, and Democracy to Counter Disinformation

We trained journalists to recognize fakes and disinformation, disseminate counter-narratives, and debunk hostile propaganda. To achieve this, we:

• Conducted a comprehensive study to understand the specific challenges Ukrainian journalists face regarding disinformation. Particularly gender-based disinformation.
• Developed a fact-checking policy and integrated it into media operations.
• Created special guidelines for fact-checking concerning targeting gender-based disinformation.
• Held 10 training sessions (4 in-person, 6 online) for 76 Ukrainian journalists.
• Launched a small grants competition, supporting 26 media outlets and individual journalists in creating and disseminating counter-narratives.

Governance and Strategic Communications

USAID Program "RADA: Next Generation"

The team of Internews Ukraine continues to work towards making the Ukrainian Parliament a modern, effective, and accountable institution for Ukraine's democratic development. Through  the USAID program RADA: Next Generation, we have increased citizen engagement in the legislative process, enhanced the analytical and oversight capabilities of the Verkhovna Rada, implemented innovative digital and communication solutions, and promoted parliamentary education for children. Our activities included:

• Supporting the Verkhovna Rada's committees in building oversight and legislative capacity, engaging over 60,000 citizens in post-legislative scrutiny, creating 30 analytical materials, and distributing over 140 communication materials.
• Developing and implementing the Innovative Parliament program and a cybersecurity strategy.
• Completing a five-year communication strategy document for the Verkhovna Rada to improve connections between the parliament and citizens.
• Preparing the research study Parliament in Wartime analyzing the work of the Verkhovna Rada during the full-scale Russian invasion.
• Supporting the Training Center of the Verkhovna Rada's Research Service, enhancing the skills of over 450 Rada staffers, deputies, and their assistants.
• Launching the Citizens and Parliament grant program, supporting 7 NGOs in implementing projects to increase citizen involvement in the legislative process.
• Promoting parliamentary education: 504 students participated in a simulation game modeling the legislative process, developing 39 draft laws.  
• Supporting parliamentary transparency: journalists were granted access to the halls of the Verkhovna Rada to cover parliamentary work on-site for the first time since the introduction of martial law. The RADA: Next Generation program provided recommendations to the Parliamentary Press Service and the Security Service on establishing a new media accreditation system.
• On June 20, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on public consultations. The program provided expert support, recommendations on the law's effectiveness, and facilitated public consultations through the Citizens and Parliament grant program.

Digital Security

Digital Security for Local Government in Ukraine

Internews Ukraine specialists enhanced the digital skills of representatives from five communities, improved their knowledge of digital security, and increased their resilience against potential hacks and data loss. To strengthen the communities' defenses against cyberattacks, we implemented a project that included:

• Conducting audits for the five communities.
• Providing training and in-depth consultations based on the audits’ findings.
• Preparing to procure necessary software to enhance community resilience.
• Developing a communication campaign on social media.