As part of the ongoing Fight for Facts! project, a two-day workshop brought together editors and media managers from 16 regional media outlets across Ukraine. Since 2023, these media have been active participants in the project, working to strengthen independent journalism and uphold editorial integrity.
The event, held on March 20-21, 2025, focused on peer learning in a supportive, horizontal setting. A total of 21 participants met in Kyiv Oblast to exchange experiences and search for solutions to common challenges.
The workshop began with a facilitated session led by media coach Iryna Eihelson, where participants discussed the main issues they face in their editorial work. From financial difficulties – including the impact of the USAID funding freeze – to staff burnout, communication gaps, and inefficient routines, the group identified shared problems and used the space to reflect on why certain goals remain out of reach.
The following sessions looked at how to move forward under difficult conditions. Otar Dovzhenko, media expert and Chief Creative Officer of the Lviv Media Forum, led a conversation on maintaining journalistic quality with limited resources. Daryna Shevchenko, CEO of The Kyiv Independent, offered practical tools for team organisation, internal communication, and motivation – concrete steps to help strengthen editorial work from within.
This was one of the most useful events I’ve attended in a long time. We started by briefly talking about mental health and what keeps us going, and then dove into work. We discussed how to measure impact and what makes each of our media outlets unique. Our positioning and strategy are now quite well-defined
Yelena Shchepak, CEO and co-founder of 18000, Cherkasy
Participants brought real cases from their editorial work, received feedback from trainers and peers, and helped shape a shared learning space. Each session encouraged open dialogue and practical, collaborative problem-solving.
The exercise on challenges with Iryna Eihelson was especially useful for us. We brought the method back to our newsroom and repeated it with the team. Beyond its therapeutic effect, it also helped us ‘synchronize our watches’ in terms of values and shared goals. Daryna Shevchenko’s presentation became the foundation for shaping our new corporate culture. We've already seen its first results in improved motivation and stronger team engagement
Valeriia Lytvyn, Editor-in-Chief of Poltavska Khvylia, Poltava
This event is part of Fight for Facts! – a joint project by n-ost, Lviv Media Forum (Lviv), and the Institute of Mass Information (Kyiv). The initiative supports regional media outlets in Ukraine in their efforts to combat fake news and disinformation – ongoing threats to journalistic integrity and informed public discourse.
Through workshops, a grant programme, individual consultations, and other tailored activities, participating media outlets gain tools and support to strengthen their capacity and become even more credible and trusted sources of information within their communities.
The project is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany.
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