During the broadcast of the program “Today. Afternoon” on Ukrainian Radio, Maksym Onopriienko, a member of the National Council, discussed the restoration of Ukrainian broadcasting, support for regional media, and efforts to counter disinformation.
When it comes to regional media, what challenges are common across frontline regions, and which ones are specific to individual areas?
The main challenges for regional newsrooms remain the lack of funding, staff shortages, and competition from social media. While media outlets in safer regions can still experiment with new formats, those in frontline areas are forced to operate under constant threat, and relocated newsrooms must search for resources simply to survive.
Where do regional media get their funding?
Due to limited resources, most media outlets rely on grant support, which now increasingly comes from Scandinavian and Baltic countries. At the same time, the Government has announced a funding programme for regional media, while the National Council continues to apply the mechanism of issuing temporary broadcasting permits. These permits do not require license fees, significantly easing the burden on media operating in frontline areas.
How was media work restored after the liberation of occupied regions?
After the liberation of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, radio stations of “Suspilne” (National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine) were among the first to resume broadcasting, followed later by regional editorial offices. This recovery was also supported through cooperation with mobile operators.
Audiences in frontline regions tend to trust those they know personally – local journalists who work nearby and provide timely updates about the situation in their communities.
Staffing issues: How well are newsrooms able to continue operating, given that part of their teams have been mobilized?
They are managing with it – in many newsrooms, women have taken on roles that were previously held by men. Following the mobilization of male staff, women are increasingly mastering technical professions in the media sector.
It was also noted that the National Council, in cooperation with the NGO “Women in Media,” has launched a new wave of research into the gender profile of Ukrainian media. The results will be presented at the end of the year.
Frontline territories: Do people there hear Russian radio? How can this be countered?
Countering disinformation remains a key priority. Russian media continue to increase their broadcasting capacity, exerting psychological pressure through fake news, while the Ukrainian side is expanding its own broadcasting, filling available frequencies, and using signal jamming to combat hostile transmissions.
It’s a technical race: we install a 5 kW transmitter – they respond with 10. But we are fighting to ensure that Ukrainians in frontline areas hear the truth.
Is it possible to monitor content in the occupied territories? How important is it to monitor the content produced by propagandists?
Monitoring hostile broadcasts is essential for documenting the crimes of propagandists, informing international partners, and protecting our own audience.
Millions of people live in an environment saturated with fake narratives. We must know what they are hearing in order to counteract it and communicate the truth.
Listen to the broadcast recording at the link provided.
