Two people highlighted in reports by journalists training with the EU funded Regional Voices project in Ukraine illustrate the personal impact of the programme on some of the country's internally displaced persons, (IDPs).
Pensioner Leonid Polegnkyi was living in poverty in Odessa having fled Crimea, student Anton Moshchynskvi from the Donetsk region faced eviction from his university accommodation in Kyiv.
Their plights were featured by journalists taking part in a two year training programme aimed at regional media organisations run by the Thomson Foundation and the international Institute for Regional Media and Information (Irmi). It focused on addressing social tensions resulting from the conflict through better, more ethically balanced coverage of the issues that affect the 1.7 million people who have fled their homes.
This emphasis on regional media was one of the strengths of the project noted in the conclusions of an evaluation report prepared for the Thomson Foundation.
The ability for the media to serve their Fourth Estate function and hold its leaders and the state accountable requires regional voices as much if not more than simply relying on Kyiv voices,' it concludes.
The numbers
1,180 people trained
183 media outlets helped
400 multimedia stories produced
Regional network Reporter Marina Kud was one of more than a thousand regional journalists, media managers and communications specialists who are now part of a regional network formed during the project.
Whilst attending a Regional Voices workshop in Kyiv she interviewed Anton a 21 year old student at Kyiv polytechnic university who was facing eviction from his accommodation along with 350 others who had fled from their homes in the Donbass region and Crimea.
A bureaucratic hold up had resulted in a delay in them receiving special payments to help with accommodation and tuition fees.
Her report was followed up by other media organisations and after changes in the payment process many of the displaced students have been able to continue with their studies.
-- Play
-- --
Displaced students fight for rights - Marina Kud
Pension rights Pensioner Leonid Polegnkyi's appearance on a talk show on national Ukrainian television was the result of a report by journalists attending a Regional Voices' workshop in Odessa. The local authorities were refusing to pay Leonid's pension because in his hurry to flee he had left his documents behind in Crimea and was unable to retrieve them.
Following his appearance on national television, a group of leading lawyers took up his cause. This case set a precedent and he along with thousands of other IDPs are now receiving their pensions.
Regional Voices objectives These news stories were among 400 produced by journalists to address the sudden and very real humanitarian crises that was posed by the displaced persons for which Ukrainian media was unprepared.
Regional Voices (RV) aimed amongst other objectives to address issues around; conflict prevention through access to information, media credibility and public confidence, journalistic quality and inclusive content and regional and national coverage of IDP concerns and issues.
Key outcomes from Regional Voices - Journalists
95% said their coverage of IDP issues improved
60% said they improved their understanding of conflict-sensitive journalism
71% said they improved their awareness and understanding of how media can cover IDP issues
67% said they made great contacts
73% said they broadened their perspectives and worldview
Evaluation Report for Thomson Foundation of Regional Voices programme
Strong foundation for working with regional media The Thomson Foundation is one of the few media development organisations working with regional media worldwide. In Ukraine and in many other countries the media remains very capital citycentric - a point noted in the projects evaluation report which suggests that, without proper development of the media organisations and support for journalists outside the capital, democratisation efforts and conflict resolutions in Ukraine are put at risk.
In one of its main conclusions the report focuses on the potential for further support for regional media; The Regional Voices project has provided a very strong foundation for what could become a targeted and strategic future programme that would work with local and regional media - the same outlet and networks of journalists who are at the heart of the RV project.
Regional Voices reports
-- Play
-- --
Volunteer fighters Reporter Eugene Kugel meets two IDPs who fought in eastern Ukraine and now are struggling to adapt to family life.
-- Play
-- --
Crowded lives Svyatoslav Bolenkos report looks the acute housing need of the thousands of IDPs who fled Crimea.
-- Play
-- --
IDP generations Reporter Olyona Soroka looks how the young and older generations of IDPs react differently to their new homes.
Deborah Kelly Head of Training and Communications
About: Deborah plays a key part in developing and promoting our training programmes and is our specialist on gender in media. As our senior in house trainer, she leads our network of over 200 trainers and consultants.
We get around. Explore our project map
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
16/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: FUJIFILM Execs on GFX ETERNA 55 Camera, Importance of Shallow-Dept...
16/10/2025
Squash's Most Ambitious Broadcast Production To Be Deployed at Comcast Busin...
16/10/2025
Main Street Sports Group Inks Deal With Omaha Productions, Launches Original-Con...
16/10/2025
A Historic Precursor? FIFA, HBS, DAZN Offer an Inside Look at Production of FIFA...
16/10/2025
Prime Video Offers Sneak Peak at New NBA on Prime StudioThe massive 13,000-sq-ft, two-story studio features a LED regulation half court and hoopBy Jason Dachman...
16/10/2025
SVG Remote Production Forum Draws Record Crowd for Visit to PGA TOUR Studios, De...
16/10/2025
BitFire's Ben Grafchik on How Growing Cloud Workflows Are Impacting the Live...
16/10/2025
AI technology is advancing quickly, bringing both new creative possibilities and...
16/10/2025
In 2017, Imani Ellis launched CultureCon, a conference that's become a must-attend event for more than 10,000 diverse creatives and Black professionals to c...
16/10/2025
It might still be a little early to break out the tinsel and mistletoe, but Spotify's already queuing up some holiday magic. This year's Spotify Singles...
16/10/2025
Earlier this year, our in-house publishing imprint, Spotify Audiobooks, put out ...
16/10/2025
VAMPIRE has been integrated onto GM Defenses Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), providing a mobile solution to effectively and affordably counter small drone threat...
16/10/2025
The AgilePod mounted on the host aircraft....
16/10/2025
60% say infotainment systems are a critical purchasing or leasing consideration,...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its 2025 Year-End Giving Campaign, which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal and ...
16/10/2025
Roku has added several new features to its user interface and operating system meant to make it easier to discover and personalize content, the company said....
16/10/2025
NEW YORK CNN has announced that its All Access subscription tier will launch in the U.S. on Oct. 28, providing audiences with a centralized destination for CNN&...
16/10/2025
Student Spotlight: Alan Villanueva The graduate student and saxophonist, who performed on Natalia Lafourcades Latin Grammy-nominated Live at Carnegie Hall alb...
16/10/2025
The XR Sports Alliance (XRSA) has announced the third cohort of members. The new members include Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Vegas Golden Kni...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its 2025 Year-End Giving Campaign which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal and c...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK Australia's Nine Network and the NHL today announced a media partnership that will bring the world's premier professional ice hockey league to ...
16/10/2025
Parks Associates has released new data showing that nearly half (45%) of U.S. internet homes watch free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services and 89% of U.S...
16/10/2025
TROY, Mich. -New data from J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Study shows that residential wireless internet providers are growing...
16/10/2025
TV's most charming detective drama * Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investi...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Thailand's Legendary Outlaw Returns: Tee Yai: Born to be ...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Christmas Is Just Around The Corner: Home For Christmas Season...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Trist n Ulloa Stars in El crimen de Pazos, the New Netflix Ser...
16/10/2025
ABS Completes Redomiciliation to Dubai Development Authority as Part of Strategi...
16/10/2025
This Saturday October 18 Katja Mia will burst onto the radio airwaves for the first time as she joins 2FM. Katja will be standing in for Bl thnaid Treacy on Sat...
16/10/2025
This October, RT is delighted to support Wexford Festival Opera, Babor International Arts Festival for Children, Open House Dublin and 36 other arts and cultu...
16/10/2025
GeForce NOW is more than just a platform to stream fresh games every week - it offers celebrations for the gamers who make it epic, with member rewards to sweet...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
Two people highlighted in reports by journalists training with the EU funded Regional Voices project in Ukraine illustrate the personal impact of the programme on some of the country's internally displaced persons, (IDPs).
