Investigative reporting

Strengthening Investigative Reporting in Ukraine (SIRU) is a three-year project that Internews implements with the support of Global Affairs Canada since April 2014. The initiative aims to improve the capacity of Ukrainian investigative journalists to produce a nationally broadcast television program examining key issues of public importance – good governance, economic development, environmental protection, and social justice. Internews is working with the leading investigative reporting agencies throughout Ukraine to produce a weekly television program Slidstvo.info that builds the capacity of journalists to produce television reports through annual skills training provided by the Investigative Reporting unit of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Project also provides annual legal training to educate the journalists on how to produce accurate stories that will protect them from lawsuits. The lead partner and producer of the television program is Hromadske.ua, an online news and current affairs TV service operated by some of Ukraine’s most respected journalists. Internews works with Slidstvo.info team and 4 contributing parters: the Crimean Center for Investigative Reporting, the Rivne Agency for Investigative Reporting, the Mykolaiv Center for Investigative Reporting, and the Svidomo investigative journalism agency to produce the Slidtsvo.info program, which investigates a wide range of issues of vital importance to Ukrainians at a critical time in the country’s democratic development. Regional Press Development Institute media lawyers provide legal wetting of the programs to reduce legal risks, support reporters in access to public information. In addition to broadcast on the Hromadske.ua web channel, Slidstvo.info is broadcast on the national state network First National, on Channel 24, a nationally distributed channel based in Lviv, and through YouTube and Facebook. Another Internews partner, Independent Association of Broadcasters reached out to its member broadcasters to carry the Slidstvo.info program and expand its viewing audience in the regions of Ukraine. As a result, one national online broadcaster and 17 local TV analogue, cable and online broadcasters from 14 regions agreed to broadcast Slidstvo.Info. Project undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada.

Highlights

  • Slidstvo.info journalists won several awards at professional competitions during summer of 2016, including, Olena Kozachenko for a storied nominated for an "Honor of Profession" Award and a "Mezhyhirya Fest" award for best young reporter’s TV investigation.
    Another Slidstvo partner, Rivne Agency for IR reporter Yury Horbach, also won first prize at Mezhyhirya Fest in the “Best Online and print investigation” category.
    Other Slidstvo.info journalists were among the finalists at Mezhyhirya Fest– Dmytro Gnap, Oleksandr Kurbatov and Oleksandr Humenyuk.​

  • Rivne Agency for IR was selected for annual partnership program UMPP, funded by Department of State and implemented by IREX . Six RAIR staff reporters and editors will travel to The Lens, IR Non-rofit Center at New Orleans and attend Investigative Reporting and Editors Conference at Phoenix. RAIR will also host reporters and editors from The Lens in Rivne.