Round table discussion "European Values in Journalism during the War" was held on the Journalist's Day

On June 6, the Faculty of Journalism of Zaporizhzhia National University organized a round table discussion "European Values in Journalism during the War". The online meeting was held within the framework of the Erasmus+ JMM EU-Indy project "European media standards and values of independent journalism in the post-truth era" and Erasmus+ KA2 project DESTIN.
The speakers of the event were journalists of the leading mass media of the region and the country, public activists, teachers of higher educational institutions. The Dean of the Faculty of Journalism of ZNU Viktor Kostiuk addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. Professor of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland) Bartosz Hordecki also welcomed the participants: «European values are not something that is given to us, but something that we should develop. It is in Ukraine that we clearly see the development of these values. We are proud to have the opportunity to help develop them in such difficult times for Ukraine. I sincerely believe that Ukraine will win and will continue to carry these values in the future", - noted in his speech Bartosz Hordecki.
By the way, the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań is a long-standing partner of the Faculty of Journalism. It continues to cooperate with ZNU within the framework of Erasmus+ KA2 DESTIN project, which has entered the final phase and is scheduled to be completed in November 2022. Faculty members visited this Polish university and other DESTIN partners back in 2019. Therefore, inspired by the experience of our European colleagues, we prepared and won the EU-Indy project.
At the round table, the participants discussed the value and tasks of mass media during the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, analyzed the work of Ukrainian and foreign journalists at that time, and tried to identify ways to strengthening and intensifying of the information front.
The journalists also shared their experience of working during the war. In particular, Zaporizhzhia journalist and head of the NGO "Vision-radio "Radio na dotyk" Olga Vakalo spoke about how the acute phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war affected the form and content of the Vision Radio project: "At first, there were thoughts about how to survive physically. Then came the realization: if there are no values, then why should we survive at all?" This idea mainly prevail while discussing the content of modern journalism in the wartime.
Founder of the media center "East" from Kharkiv Olga Guzhva shared her observations on the advantages and disadvantages of foreign war journalism and spoke about her own experience working with foreign media professionals. The speaker also drew attention to the importance of conducting trainings to prepare journalists for work in the war zones. In her opinion, media representatives need to think about safety, ethical aspects of work and their own physical shape.
Artem Lagutenko, a war correspondent from the Espresso TV channel spoke about the observance of certain international standards of journalism during the war, and gave some advice: "In wartime, journalists should collect information, think about how to survive, not harm society, and turn off emotions."
Journalist, regional representative of the Institute of Mass Information in Zaporizhzhia region Natalia Vygovska in her speech touched upon another acute problem – crimes against journalists committed by the occupation authorities in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia oblast. Among them – the seizure of editorial offices, TV transmitting towers, which led to the termination of Ukrainian broadcasting, the detention of journalists, cyber-attacks, shortages of the Internet connection, which blocks the Ukrainian information space in the occupied territories.
Journalist from Mariupol Olena Melnikova-Kurganova spoke about the information blockade and her experience of communication in the besieged city: "On the one hand, the lack of media and social networks in the city made it impossible to spread fakes and propaganda, but the enemy found other options. These include transmitting information through flyers and ads, distributing propaganda narratives via SMS messages (when the phone is turned on), interpersonal communication, speaking to groups of citizens, and writing on walls».
Journalist and TV host of UA TV channel “The First” Denis Zepsen shared his thoughts about the specifics of cooperation between journalists from various TV channels in the framework of the United News TV marathon. He spoke about the work of the public broadcaster in the regions of Ukraine that strives to keep professional standards in such a difficult time.
The war in Ukraine has exposed many problems in society, so at this time all vulnerable groups of the population require even more attention and assistance. The founder of the media project "Nenachasi" Kateryna Mayboroda and journalist of the Roma women's foundation "Chirikli" Yana Radchenko told about their experience in human rights journalism and ethics of communication with traumatized people.
«The relevance of the topic, the professionalism of the speakers, and their experience aroused considerable interest among the professional community, because the round table discussion brought together more than 60 participants from different parts of Ukraine. This means that there is a need in such events and a necessity in professional discussion. Therefore, the ZNU Faculty of Journalism will continue to organize such initiatives in the future", - summed up the moderators of the event associate professors of the Department of Journalism Pavlo Miroshnychenko and Kateryna Sirinyok-Dolgaryova.
To view the recording of the round table discussion "European values in journalism during the war" on June 6, 2022 please visit the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EemePUWNJ4Y