{"id":4364,"date":"2026-05-11T16:15:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/?p=4364"},"modified":"2026-05-12T12:54:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:54:28","slug":"new-media-leadership-strengthens-ukraines-independent-voices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/new-media-leadership-strengthens-ukraines-independent-voices\/","title":{"rendered":"New media leadership strengthens Ukraine’s independent voices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Written by Veronika Menjoun, Project Manager for Fojo's work in Ukraine. <\/pre>\n\n\n\n
KYIV. Ukrainian media managers have completed an intensive training in media leadership to secure independent journalism during wartime.<\/strong><\/strong> Through the EUMM programme, thirteen professionals have been equipped with tools for economic sustainability and strategic resilience.<\/strong> The initiative, led by the Fojo Media Institute, emphasises the value of professional solidarity when freedom of speech is most vulnerable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over five months, thirteen Ukrainian media professionals and journalism teachers have participated in the second cohort of Educating Ukrainian Media Managers<\/em> (EUMM). This international programme, led by Sweden’s Fojo Media Institute<\/strong><\/a> at the Linnaeus University<\/strong><\/a>, aims to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of Ukrainian media amidst the ongoing war. The graduation ceremony on 30 April marked the conclusion of a journey defined by both practical expertise and human connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This international programme for media leaders aims to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of Ukrainian media amidst the ongoing war.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The programme was implemented in partnership with the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga<\/strong><\/a> and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.<\/strong><\/a> Journalists, editors, and producers from across Ukraine gathered to study media economics, audience development and organisational strategy. Fojo\u2019s mission is to strengthen journalism so that people can make informed decisions in a changing world took on a profound significance in a context where reliable information is vital for survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Over the last five months, I was happy to be part of the Educating Ukrainian Media Managers programme. It was not only about knowledge, but also about warmth, support and having good people around,” says participant Erik Brynza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Veronika Menjoun, Project Manager of Fojo’s work in Ukraine, has led Fojo’s work in and with Ukrainian media for nearly 30 years.  <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Strategies for resilient media leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final module took place in Riga, Latvia. Choosing this location was a deliberate decision to provide participants with a temporary respite from air raid sirens and the sleepless nights caused by continued attacks on Ukrainian cities. This calmer environment allowed them to focus on learning, strategic planning and professional exchange with colleagues facing similar pressures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fojo has worked for decades to support independent journalism and democratic media systems globally. In this initiative, we placed particular emphasis on long-term resilience rather than short-term crisis response. The curriculum explored how Ukrainian media organisations can maintain editorial independence while adapting to financial instability, staff burnout and rapidly changing audience behaviour. By focusing on robust media leadership, the programme helps build a foundation for a sustainable media landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focus on ethics and collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The programme also tackled the daily ethical and professional dilemmas faced by Ukrainian journalists, such as balancing speed with accuracy and resisting self-censorship. Through case studies, participants examined internal newsroom dynamics, including how to build trust and avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It was interesting to test myself in solving managerial cases, and the networking with colleagues was extremely valuable,” added Dmytro Hrinchenko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investigative journalist Karina Buhaichenko noted that the training expanded her understanding of media “as a business, a product, and a system of management decisions”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The EUMM initiative is part of Fojo\u2019s broader commitment to supporting independent journalism in Eastern Europe. As the war continues to pressure Ukrainian newsrooms, programmes focused on sustainability and strategic media leadership are becoming increasingly vital for the future of independent media in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The programme is carried out with the generous support of the Swedish Institute<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fojo trains media managers in Ukraine to secure independent journalism during wartime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jet_sm_ready_style":"","_jet_sm_style":"","_jet_sm_controls_values":"","_jet_sm_fonts_collection":"","_jet_sm_fonts_links":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"region":[],"class_list":["post-4364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ukraine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4364"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4383,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364\/revisions\/4383"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4364"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fojo.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=4364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}