UNESCO trains media in host countries to better report Ukrainian refugee issues and concerns

In August and September 2023, UNESCO held trainings in the capital cities of each of the three countries. 

National media have a critical role to play

At the different meetings held, UN representatives, public authorities responsible for the integration of refugees, leaders of media organizations and members of the Ukrainian refugee community came together to discuss the host countries’ responses to refugees’ information needs. 

The discussions focused on the critical role played by radio, television and digital media in disseminating vital information to Ukrainian refugees and giving them a voice. Following this dialogue, a series of workshops were held to train national media in ethical and conflict-sensitive reporting on refugees.

Voices from the Ukrainian Community

A Ukrainian media professional, Irina Stryapko, joined Moldova’s TV8 as a host and reporter shortly after the outbreak of the war. “For the first three months after the start of the war, I broadcast live from Odesa, until the television station where I was employed closed down,” she noted.

Georgiana Cremene, Programme Coordinator with the project partner, Norwegian Refugee Council, presented the first key findings of a UNESCO survey on Ukrainian refugees’ TV and radio preferences. The report also made recommendations on how host countries could improve media coverage based on close to 700 interviews conducted with refugees in the three target countries. 

Media’s long-term commitment

Over the next few months, over a dozen Moldovan, Romanian and Slovak media organizations will produce and broadcast content addressing issues identified as important by Ukrainian refugees in the report. These media will also work with displaced media professionals from Ukraine in order to put into practice what they learnt at the workshops.

The workshops will be followed by mentoring sessions and a second series of in-person trainings on solutions journalism in November and December 2023.

Japan’s support for Ukrainian refugees through media empowerment 

The project, which is a part of UNESCO’s contribution to the inter-agency Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation, coordinated by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is funded by the Government of Japan.

Yoichiro Yamada, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Moldova, emphasized Japan's belief in the power of journalism to promote honesty, sincerity, and humanity in times of conflict, at the meeting in Chișinău. 

Ambassador Yamada underlined the importance of pluralism of opinions and Japan's commitment to freedom of expression, which he referred to as a pillar for the functioning of democracy, and a reason for Japan's support for this initiative.

Host Countries’ Engagement

Host countries are firmly committed to providing an effective response to refugees’ information needs. In the three countries, representatives from the host governments' entities overseeing the refugee response shared their experiences and discussed the assistance they are providing to the many Ukrainian refugees seeking protection within their borders, reflecting on how the media can help reinforce these efforts.