We are the lungs of democracy: reviving local independent media in Ukraine
In a time of war, independent media in Ukraine are more than news providers – they are essential pillars of national resilience, public trust and democracy. Local outlets serve as watchdogs of power on the ground; they counter Russian disinformation and give a voice to people, especially in war-affected regions. Unlike nationwide media, local outlets have to survive – fighting with lack of funding, high staff turnover, technological lags and threats to physical safety. To respond to this crisis, the Media Development Foundation – with crucial support from the European Union – has launched a multi-strand initiative targeting independent local media.
“Yesterday, a drone hit right next to our office – literally two metres away from my workspace,” recalls Aliona Yatsyna, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Kordon Media, a regional outlet based in Sumy – one of Ukraine’s active combat zones.
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, independent local media in Ukraine have faced unprecedented challenges. Newsrooms dismantled, journalists displaced and entire cities turned into “news deserts” – places where reliable information is scarce or non-existent. In this vacuum, platforms like Telegram and social media have become primary news sources for Ukrainians, offering rapid updates, but also creating an overwhelming flow of unverified, sensationalist and often propagandistic content. “We’re no longer facing an information deficit, but a saturation crisis,” explains Eugene Zaslavsky, Executive Director of the Media Development Foundation (MDF). “Independent media are acting as a filter – a voice of reason – between the content and the consumer. The absence of such a voice quickly sweeps people into propaganda.”
Since 2013, the Media Development Foundation has worked to support the growth of independent journalism in Ukraine. In response to the current crisis and with vital support from the European Union, it launched a comprehensive initiative aimed at strengthening local media outlets across 11 Ukrainian regions, including liberated and temporarily occupied territories. Through an open call, the MDF selected 52 local media outlets for end-to-end support, including training, mentoring, networking and even relocation assistance to bring quality upgrades to their work.
Three interconnected programmes – Community Leaders, Re-launch and News Desert Elimination – respond to urgent wartime challenges by strengthening journalistic capacity, rebuilding media presence in underserved areas and amplifying local voices. The Community Leaders programme empowers existing outlets to become trusted sources in their communities, helping them build influence, expand audiences and address critical local issues. Re-launch focuses on reviving media outlets that had ceased operations or were struggling, adapting them to wartime realities through updated content strategies and organisational support. And News Desert Elimination launches entirely new outlets in occupied, frontline or de-occupied regions such as Bakhmut, Pokrovsk, Mariupol, Berdiansk or Sumy that lack functional local media despite urgent information needs.
Reporting from the frontlines
“We applied in February 2023 and were selected. Starting from scratch, our outlet grew from zero to a successful media platform in just two years,” says Aliona Yatsyna. Participation in the MDF activities helped Kordon Media to structure their work – from a ten-year strategic plan to a weekly operational schedule – and to build a full-spectrum newsroom. It covers security-related news, such as the aftermath of shelling, produces photo and video reports from combat zones, creates 360° video formats from buildings destroyed by Russia, and conducts investigative journalism using open-source intelligence and open data. “While covering a missile strike in Sumy that killed 35 people, we revealed the governor had organised a mass gathering despite prior warnings. He took no action. Our report exposed this, and he was dismissed – proof of how closely information and security are connected,” says Aliona.
Kordon Media’s transformation was guided step by step by MDF mentors. “We engaged senior editors from leading national outlets such as ‘Radio Svoboda’ and ‘Ukrainska Pravda’, who stepped in as content and management mentors to the editorial teams. Many of them continue collaboration with their alumni even after the programmes’ end,” says the MDF Executive Director. Management mentors helped outlets move from survival mode to strategic planning. Building trust and understanding each media’s unique context, over several months they co-developed long-term development plans, guiding media managers away from micromanagement into leadership. By contrast, content mentors operated like remote editors-in-chief, assisting in the development of the content component, mapping existing output against audience needs and competitors’ offerings. Trained in every aspect − from news writing and court or political reporting to investigations − the teams significantly improved their editorial standards.
Shaping the narrative in southern Ukraine
“We greatly benefited from the mentoring component,” says Valerii Bolhun, editor-in-chief of Intent Media in Odesa. “We expanded our video production, growing our YouTube audience tenfold in just a year and a half. We started to generate a modest but steady income from video content which is very important for us.”
Intent Media covers Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions and even partially Crimea. Initially focused on investigative journalism, it has grown into a regional leader in southern Ukraine reaching several million users monthly. It conducts in-depth investigations on local self-government, war crimes and security issues, such as shelter maps and safety inspections. Their recent investigation exposed fake military recruiters extorting bribes, triggering immediate action from law enforcement.
Thanks to MDF’s support, Intent Media restructured their newsroom, completed a full rebrand, and established an effective mid-level management structure. “Now I have three deputies who manage different areas and handle daily operations, which allows me to fully focus on my role as editor-in-chief, leading strategic development and fundraising instead of day-to-day content editing,” says Valerii.
Making the hidden visible
The team at MykVisti, a local outlet from Mykolaiv, came with a similar challenge. “Before I was responsible for practically everything,” recalls media manager Oleh Dereniuha. “But thanks to the Relaunch Programme, we restructured our editorial office and clearly divided roles, separating management from content.” The outlet underwent a full rebranding, introduced a targeted content strategy and split the operations of news and in-depth reporting teams. As a result, they now produce five to six longform investigations monthly.
MykVisti has become a trusted voice on local issues. “We’re not chasing viral stories,” underlines Oleh. “We’re writing about a 70-year-old woman who can’t walk to the market because there are no benches. We call local authorities for accountability.” Their investigative work has tangible impact: a story on the local swimming pool’s financial misconduct led to the dismissal of four public officials; while persistent reporting on Mykolaiv’s water crisis after the destruction of its water system by Russian shelling resulted in the launch of a new pipeline construction. “The EU is one of Ukraine’s biggest donors across multiple sectors. Independent journalists, with their on-the-ground knowledge of the local context are best positioned to monitor how EU funds are used, spotlighting both successes and misuse,” says Oleh.
EU support as a lifeline
After the completion of the MDF initiative, all supported media outlets remain operational. Today, they are not just surviving, they are leading, despite mounting financial and security challenges. With American support (USAID) abruptly halted, EU aid through NGOs like MDF is essential to keeping independent journalism in Ukraine alive. “If independent media die, our democracy will not last long… We are, quite literally, the lungs of democracy,” Aliona Yatsyna is convinced.
Beyond upholding press freedom, the EU’s continued investment in Ukraine’s local media is a strategic commitment to democratic accountability, transparent recovery and a stable future partner. In Ukraine, where on-the-ground journalism can expose corruption or save lives, the media must continue to breathe.
Authors: Volha Prokharava, Oksana Fedorovych
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