In September, Ukraine’s public broadcaster, UA:PBC, presented its first TV news bulletins from its new Universal Studio at its Kyiv headquarters – the culmination of several years of work to modernise and restructure the newsroom into a modern, multi-media operation that caters for TV, radio and digital media.
It comes as the need for highly professional, trusted media coverage has never been more clear, amid rumours and disinformation about COVID-19 and other critical issues in the region.
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Media Action has been working with Deutche-Welle Akademie for several years to support UA:PBC’s transition to a fully public service broadcaster.
When the pandemic began earlier this year, UA:PBC already had training in place through the Public Media Academy, and a new, multi-platform newsroom with a strengthened focus on digital.
It was able to pivot quickly to launch a new daily multi-platform programme, ‘In Quarantine,’ which has attracted record audiences.
Launched in mid-March, in the first five days alone it drew 5.5 million viewers, averaging 1.7 million per day – drawn by quality journalism and its multi-media approach across radio, television, digital and social media.
Now, with help from Â鶹ԼÅÄ Media Action, UA:PBC has completed this revolutionary step in its ways of working. it is now using a story-centric model across all its output to help reduce costs and increase efficiency in digital multi-media operations. A centralised newsgathering team with redesigned workflows is supported by a new HR and staffing structure.
This reorganised newsroom operation, with a newsgathering ‘hub’ to support all platforms, is helping the broadcaster improve its reporting and storytelling while ensuring it is fit to adapt to the fast-changing media environment and the many challenges ahead.
‘Support to the National Public Broadcaster of Ukraine’ is a capacity-building partnership with Â鶹ԼÅÄ Media Action and DW Akademie, funded by the European Union and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Further extensive support for UA:PBC, including capacity building and technology support, is supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Eastern Partnership Independent Media Development Programme, implemented by Â鶹ԼÅÄ Media Action and the Thomson Reuters Foundation.