Discussion
Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine has shaken the country in many ways, affecting virtually all aspects of social and political life, including journalism. The war has critically reshuffled Ukraine's media landscape, starting from the market structure and new regulations driven by martial law and ending in increased ethical challenges and dilemmas for journalists, to name but a few. Journalists' response to wartime realities and dilemmas merits scholarly attention. Wars challenge journalism, both in practical and conceptual dimensions. A rich body of literature addresses the relationship between wars and journalism, problematizes widespread practices of war reporting, and questions the role of media. Many works in this area focus on media content, especially news content, on wars and conflicts to draw conclusions about media approaches and practices of war coverage. Yet, fewer empirical studies examine the wartime experiences of journalists and their views and perceptions amidst the ongoing war. What do journalists themselves think of their work in times of war? What do they see as their priorities? What are their perspectives on professional ethics in such conditions?
The proposed paper focuses on the case of Ukrainian journalists experiencing Russia's invasion of their country and its consequences daily. It presents the results from a survey of Ukrainian journalists conducted as part of the third wave of the Worlds of Journalism Study (2021-2023). The study departs from the theoretical framework of journalism culture (Hanitzsch, 2007; Hanitzsch & Vos, 2018). It explores Ukrainian journalists' perceptions of journalistic roles, their views on the ethical acceptability of certain professional practices in the light of the war, as well as their perceptions of the state of freedom for media and journalists in Ukraine. The paper discusses why developmental-educative orientation appears to be strong among Ukrainian journalists, even in times of existential threat to their country, and what such role perceptions might entail for the Ukrainian democracy struggling to resist Russia's invasion.
References
Hanitzsch, T. (2007). Deconstructing journalism culture: Toward a universal theory.
Communication theory,
17(4), 367-385.
Hanitzsch, T., & Vos, T. P. (2018). Journalism beyond democracy: A new look into journalistic roles in political and everyday life.
Journalism,
19(2), 146-164.
