Seeking Truth for Ukraine – A Conversation with Journalists
Posted on Apr. 22, 2022 / Subscribe 0
Major headlines around the world center on the crisis unfolding in Ukraine and its global implications. In a period where misinformation can lead to severe conflict, fair and accurate reporting are more critical than ever. This begs the questions … What challenges are communicators facing? How can we perform accurate wartime reporting?
In one of our recent events, reporters and communicators located in Ukraine, as well as others located in the United States, provided potential answers. The panel included board member and moderator Janine Krasicky Sadaj, president of J9 Media Solutions, and the following speakers:
- Pavlo Novikov, a journalist with 20+ years of experience, host at news Radio NV in Kyiv and Charity Tuner volunteer
- Antonina Ria, a PR specialist at IT-company Wantent and volunteer in a grassroots effort to share war content with journalists
- Mykola Murskyj, the chair of the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan
What stories are not being covered in the Western press, and what can we do to promote these stories?
Mykola – “There’s a lot of sexual violence and assault in Russian-occupied territories,” said Mykola. “Russia has also been forcefully deporting people from Mariupol and Eastern Ukraine into Russia proper.”
There are few direct and detailed resources that are written in English regarding Ukraine’s situation. As a result, many news outlets cover the same stories. Mykola noted that many of these stories “are not necessarily the most important or what’s salient in the Ukrainian peoples’ minds.” To find reliable, trusted content, Mykola recommended reading stories directly from Ukrainian sources, such as The Kyiv Independent.
What challenges have you faced in continuing your work? How are you overcoming them?
Pavlo – On his walk to the radio station for work, a saboteur group was killed before Pavlo’s eyes. He saw “dead bodies and destroyed cars.” Despite this trauma, Pavlo continues his journalistic mission. He supports international journalists to find and cover the right stories in Ukraine. To the world, Pavlo leads audiences to the most important news. To Pavlo, these audiences deliver motivating messages for him to “work further on the work [he] needs to do.”
Antonina – The first days of Russian aggression put immense stress on Antonina. “I was scrolling through the news every hour. I was afraid to go somewhere without my phone [because] something might happen, and I [would] need to run,” said Antonina. Initially, she worked nonstop, but lately, she has been finding a “war-life balance.” Antonina looks for ways to stay safe and at the same time, fulfill her duties as a communicator.
Why is it important for journalists to cover Russia’s war crimes?
Antonina – Antonina noted a laundry list of Russian war crimes. Russians have killed Ukrainian civilians and used chemical weapons. Russians have waved a white flag to bait people to their murder. Russians have bombed cities during supposed negotiations only to block humanitarian aid.
“We not only want to inform society on what’s going on but also, we want to document all these war crimes. We hope the European Court and World Court will go through these reports and make the right solutions,” said Antonina. In the future, she hopes these facts can connect the right people to their crimes.
How has Russian propaganda impacted your work?
Antonina – “Russian propaganda is a machine that still works,” said Antonina. Antonina has found hints of Russian propaganda in the questions journalists ask her. Within other European countries, her Ukrainian colleagues participate in discussions only to be marginalized by promoters of Russian messaging. She has also seen some European media distribute narratives sympathetic to Russia’s territorial aspirations.
As communicators, how can we best report on Ukraine’s current crisis?
Pavlo – Pavlo stated that we must rethink and reassign. We need to learn how to cover modern wars, and to do so, we have to reevaluate our journalistic standards. “There is no space to be impartial between the raper and the victim,” Pavlo added. Journalists have the power to serve as civil activists. Pavlo said this power is conveyed with the African proverb, “Many small people in many small cities made many small things that have changed the face of the world.”
Mykola – Mykola urged communicators to tell the full truth, even if the concepts are difficult for the common consumer to understand. “We should not put down the typical American viewer and say they’re not going to understand if we talk about sanctions or weapon systems.”
Antonina – “Always be objective. Focus your narrative on the oppressed ones and not on the oppressor’s side.”
For those who could join us to discuss this important and difficult topic, we thank you. If you couldn’t join us, please check out the full event recording here. Please also stay tuned for our next events!
Note: Mykola and the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan are seeking media and PR support. If you are interested in contributing, please email [email protected].
Richard Doan is a PR intern at Comcast and a fourth-year student at the University of Florida. He is pursuing a dual degree in business administration and telecommunication.
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