It has been a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. There are ‘broadcasters’ in Ukraine who are trying to provide accurate and impartial information to the people of Ukraine, even though their lives are in danger due to repeated attacks,” says Atsushi Miyao of NHK International, who has extensive experience in training broadcasters. Atsushi Miyao of NHK International, who has extensive experience in training broadcasters, has been leading JICA’s five-year project to cooperate with the Public Broadcasting Service of Ukraine (PBC) until March 2022. On February 9, 2023, the first batch of equipment was safely delivered to the PBC headquarters in the capital city of Kyiv.
I want to support journalists who continue to report in wartime.
There is still no end in sight to the war in Ukraine. PBC had temporarily moved its broadcasting base to Lviv in the western part of the country, where the situation was safer. Even after returning to Kieu, the situation remains unpredictable, but journalists from all over the country continue to put their bodies on the line to report the war situation.
Ukrainian journalists are working hard to report on the destruction at sites around the country
As they continue their news activities without regard for danger, their biggest challenge at the moment is the lack of equipment. With the destruction of the TV tower in Kieu, the headquarters has had to replace mobile relay equipment for on-site coverage, which has left them with no choice but to use cell phones and other devices to film and transmit their coverage in the field. In wartime reporting, coverage from the field plays a major role, but the field has been severely restricted. On February 9, the first batch of equipment was safely delivered to the PBC headquarters in Keauhou. The second group will be delivered in the near future.
Mobile relay equipment. In this follow-up cooperation, a smaller and more mobile device than the one in the photo was provided. Cameras, lenses, accessories, and drones for filming are also scheduled to be delivered in the future.
Transformation of state-run broadcasting at its core to respond to the public’s right to know
PBC, Ukraine’s first public broadcaster, was born in 2017. JICA’s five-year cooperation project began at that time. How did it all begin?
The establishment of the PBC was based on a major problem facing the mass media in Ukraine. The media was full of manipulation of public opinion and political advertisements, and was not providing the information that the people really wanted to know,” said Miyao, who oversaw the project. Mr. Miyao, who oversaw the project, said.
At the time, the four major domestic conglomerates monopolized the major media outlets and manipulated information, while state-run broadcasting was like a government billboard. In response to suggestions from the international community that “true journalism does not exist,” the Ukrainian government, which was aiming to join the European Union, decided to transform the state-run broadcasting service into a “public broadcasting service” that would be independent of government control and broadcast for the public welfare. However, a drastic reform was necessary to change the existing system. Therefore, JICA commissioned NHK International, which has been developing “broadcasters” based on its extensive knowledge and experience in various countries, to launch a project aimed at creating a public broadcasting system and developing human resources.
The overarching goal of the project was for PBC to become a trusted mass media model. During its days as a state-run broadcaster, the average daily viewership was less than 1%. This was proof that PBC was not trusted by the public because of its news and program production that ignored the interests of viewers since the days of the former Soviet Union. It was a sobering experience for me to realize that I had to convey from the very beginning what a public broadcasting service should be,” Miyao recalls. Mr. Miyao recalls.
Mr. Miyao reflects on the project
Creating a national network for accurate and rapid emergency reporting
The project has three pillars: first, to enhance the technology and equipment necessary to produce high quality programs; second, to produce educational and welfare programs that only public broadcasting can offer; and third, to establish a system for emergency coverage of disasters and major incidents. The third is to establish a system for emergency reporting in the event of a disaster or major incident. Emergency reporting is the cornerstone of public broadcasting, as it directly affects the lives and property of the people. Mr. Miyao himself took the lead and worked with the PBC staff to promote reform.
In an emergency, it is of utmost importance that the regional bureaus and headquarters work together to provide accurate information to the public as quickly as possible. To this end, we began by building a nationwide network.
When it was a state-run broadcaster, the local stations were strongly independent and uncoordinated and disjointed, but we decided to reform the organization by placing all 22 local stations under the command of the headquarters in Kiew. In order to strengthen the network, we held a number of workshops to exchange opinions with the heads of the head office and all the regional bureaus. Mr. Miyao says that the sense of unity and solidarity was definitely strengthened by deepening ties through thorough discussions.
A scene from the workshop. Mr. Miyao is second from the right in the back.
In addition, we have produced a handbook that outlines our expertise in emergency reporting. Practical manuals that simulate situations such as the Corona disaster and war were read many times to prepare the staff mentally so that they would not be upset in an emergency. The handbook was then used to change the mindset of the news field and establish a system, such as by determining in advance the procedures for mobilizing staff in the event of an emergency.
Over the five years of our efforts, the public’s perception of us has changed. According to public opinion polls, the PBC’s viewership and credibility have improved significantly, and it is now recognized as a balanced media with less biased content compared to the conglomerate’s commercial broadcasters.
The most important thing for a public broadcaster is to always maintain a certain distance from authority and not to make a profit,” said Miyao. PBC’s first chairman took that stance, and his outstanding leadership contributed greatly to improving the level of trust in the organization.” This stance has been passed on to the current president, Mykola Chernotytsky, who is 39 years young.
Responded to the invasion with a prepared scenario, and will further strengthen its capacity in the future.
Thus began PBC’s steady march as a public broadcaster. In 2022, however, a state of emergency occurred. While the organization was still in its infancy, the Russian invasion began. Fortunately, Chernotytsky says, they had been discussing the possibility of a Russian invasion at workshops and other events, so they were able to make some preparations when the possibility of an invasion became high.
The basement studio of the PBC branch office. When an air raid alarm sounds, we hide in a temporary studio in the basement to continue delivery.
We had prepared three scenarios: 1) if the eastern part of the country was invaded, 2) if the southern and eastern parts were invaded, and 3) if the entire country was occupied. This allowed us to quickly transition to an organizational structure that would allow us to make decisions on the ground after an actual invasion. Currently, with the cooperation of Japan, we are also working on plans to establish a backup center and decentralize our base stations,” said Chairman Cernotizky.
Last November, Phase 2 of the cooperation project for the PBC was decided. JICA will continue to work with Mr. Miyao and others to further strengthen the PBC’s broadcasting capacity by developing backup centers and enhancing the functions of local branches, taking a cue from NHK’s system.
‘I want to help as much as I can to keep the light of Ukraine’s first public broadcaster burning. I pray for their safety in the war zone and hope that they will carry out their mission as journalists. I hope that PBC will overcome this war, become stronger, and leap forward as a media trusted by everyone in Ukraine,” said Mr. Miyao.
© Source JICA
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