DW Akademie: EU-funded MediaFit programme hosts event for Ukrainian journalists in Brussels

After three years of supporting local and regional media in Ukraine, the EU and German-funded MediaFit programme hosted an event in Brussels on the future of journalism in Ukraine on 18 and 19 April.

Through the MediaFit programme, implemented by DW Akademie, journalists and media outlets in southern and eastern Ukraine have been able to continue to provide independent and reliable information from the front lines. 

DW Akademie’s MediaFit programme has supported more than 60 Ukrainian media workers and organisations in their efforts to fight disinformation and promote freedom of expression in Ukraine. As part of the programme, they have produced 29 documentaries, 30 podcasts, 29 online multimedia products, and six fact-checking projects.

“You are fighting for your freedom – and for European values, too. It is now more important than ever to support the media in Ukraine,” DW Akademie Managing Director Carsten von Nahmen told the media workers at the event in Brussels.

The event included the award ceremony of the best Ukrainian media products supported by MediaFit. Serhi Huleikov’s “Country of heroes” and Olena Solodovnikova’s “Life after hero” received the Grand Prix for “Story or Personality that Inspires”. The Best Fact-checking/Debunking award went to 435 Films and Ukrainska Pravda’s “Why do they steal” project. The Best documentary/ Video award went to Mykola Dondiuk and his “Extraordinary”. The Best Multimedia/Online Category was won by “Iconic war photos” by the ‘Bird on Flight’ project. The best podcast/audio was recognised as “My Conversations” podcast by Halane Avakyan and Svoi.City. 

The MediaFit programme, which started in June 2021, is funded by the EU and co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The programme originally focused on the economic aspects of media and media innovation in southern and eastern Ukraine. But since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, it has focused on rapid survival assistance in times of war for 14 independent regional media, whose local reporting on the front lines has kept local and international audiences informed.

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Press release

MediaFit Programme