Ukrainian Pravda Editor: We Fight Disinformation Amidst Funding Struggles

As the editorial chief of Ukrainska Pravda's English edition, I can attest to the daily tightrope walk we perform. While Russian drones and missiles rain down on our homeland, our battle on the information front is no less critical. We fight against a constant barrage of disinformation, a challenge amplified by the precariousness of our funding. It's a daily struggle to secure stable, predictable revenue streams, a task that often feels as daunting as any military operation.

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Russian disinformation, shaky funding and pressure from the highest level. The Ukrainian journalist Alina Polyakova describes a daily life with great challenges – but also how they succeed in countering Russian propaganda.

Our resilience is directly tied to our financial independence. We are constantly under pressure from various political factions who seek to influence our reporting. By securing predictable income, we aim to fortify our editorial independence, ensuring that our commitment to truth and accuracy remains uncompromised. This is not just about survival; it's about maintaining the integrity of Ukrainian journalism in a time of existential threat.

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While Russian drones and missiles strike Ukraine, an editorial team in Kyiv struggles with something that may seem insignificant: securing stable, predictable revenue.

Western media often focuses on the physical destruction caused by the war. While that is a crucial aspect, they sometimes miss the equally vital information war being waged. Our work at Ukrainska Pravda is on the front lines of this information conflict. We are not just reporting the news; we are actively shaping the narrative and countering the enemy's attempts to distort reality. This fight for truth is uniquely Ukrainian, and our ability to sustain it hinges on our independence.

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Alina Polyakova is the editor-in-chief of the English-language edition of the news site Ukrainska Pravda. When she meets SvD during a visit to Stockholm, she talks about journalism in wartime – and how economic independence will make the editorial team even more resilient to political pressure.