How UNESCO and Lviv Media Forum Support Ukrainian Media and Journalists During Wartime
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian journalists have faced unprecedented challenges, from safety threats and displacement to financial strain and infrastructure loss. In response, Lviv Media Forum in partnership with UNESCO launched a series of initiatives to help Ukrainian media not only continue their work, but also evolve under wartime conditions.
Ukrainian journalists and newsrooms received support through two programs — Media Excellence Program and the Strategic Support Program. Together, they offered targeted financial and educational support that has strengthened the resilience of Ukrainian journalism and laid the groundwork for long-term transformation.
Research That Informs Recovery
A cornerstone of this collaboration is the most extensive research to date on the war’s impact on Ukrainian media. Conducted by Lviv Media Forum in collaboration with YouControl and the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting, the research "Under the Pressure of War: Challenges and Needs of Media in Ukraine" covered 213 media outlets and 418 journalists.
Importantly, the findings were included in the Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4), produced by the World Bank in partnership with the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the United Nations. This marked the first time the Ukrainian media sector was represented in such a high-level international recovery document — a critical step toward ensuring media is viewed as essential infrastructure in times of crisis.
Olha Bilousenko, Head of Research Department at Lviv Media Forum
“Ukrainian media are still not included in any recovery program. But now we have data to build on. According to the World Bank’s methodology, the basic recovery need amounts to $71 million (almost 3 billion UAH). The full estimate, covering a five-year horizon, is $392 million. These figures should form the basis for decisions and support”.
Building Capacity for Global Reach
To help Ukrainian journalists amplify their voices internationally, Lviv Media Forum and UNESCO established the Global Journalism Hub educational project, led by international journalist Christian-Zsolt Varga. The training program brought together ten expert trainers, including Luke Harding (The Guardian), Kristina Berdynskykh (freelance journalist who collaborates with Libération and Il Foglio), Isobel Koshiw (Financial Times), Julia Surkova (Freelance journalist working with Agence France-Presse) and Anton Semyzhenko (Babel) working closely with participants on pitching, story development, and collaboration with international editors.
The program led to the publication of nine feature stories in international media. For many participants, it was their first time working with foreign outlets.
Olena Martyniuk, one of the trainees
“One of the best programs I’ve ever participated in. Beyond the knowledge, it gave me confidence and a clear strategy to work with international editors,”
Strategic Growth Through Small Grants
Fifteen independent Ukrainian outlets were selected through an open call to receive financial support of €3,000 each. While modest in size, the grants allowed newsrooms to develop or improve internal strategies and reader engagement models.
Babel revised its financial strategy in just six weeks and saw immediate results in reader activity. Biliaivka.City, a regional outlet from Odesa Oblast, built a model for scaling its video content, with some videos reaching more than 150,000 views. Investigative outlet NGL.media used the funding to launch branded merchandise and strengthen its community of individual donors.
Babel
“This project is a great example of how ‘small’ funding can trigger big changes”.
One-on-One Expertise
As part of the project, LMF also organized 60 personalized consultations for 29 media outlets. Sixteen expert consultants worked directly with editorial teams, addressing a range of challenges from data analytics and strategic planning to visual content production.
The local Mykolaiv newsroom 0512.ua used a consultation on Google Analytics to rethink its content approach and improve website traffic. Rayon.in.ua, after a session on AI-based video production tools, immediately released several short videos that went viral on social media. Some reached over one million views and brought thousands of new subscribers within days.
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The project is designed and implemented by Lviv Media Forum in partnership with UNESCO and with support from Japan. The project is part of UNESCO's broader efforts to support the safety of journalists and freedom of expression in Ukraine.