By WAN-IFRA Staff

Copyright wan-ifra

By Maja Maldini

Amidst the ongoing pressures of war – from financial instability and loss of infrastructure to the constant threat of attacks – the Stronger Together programme has delivered direct support to help local and regional newsrooms adapt and sustain their vital work.

Led by WAN-IFRA with partners Mediebedriftenes Landsforening (MBL) and the Association of Independent Regional Publishers of Ukraine (AIRPPU), Stronger Together has already issued 40 grants to media partners chosen from nearly 200 applicants, while also providing regular mentoring, coaching, and workshops on sustainability and investigative journalism.

This summer marked two milestone events: the Investigative Bootcamp in Lviv, where 35 participants deepened their skills in modern investigative reporting, and the study tour to Norway’s Arendalsuka democracy festival, which connected Ukrainian journalists with international peers and democratic leaders.

Today’s launch of the Women in News (WIN) Ukraine Leadership Accelerator Programme aligns with the programmes as it continues to expand mentoring, roll out new investigative stories, and prepare for the upcoming Ukrainian News Media Congress in Lviv this October.

War-time Investigative Bootcamp

In July, 35 journalists from 18 regional newsrooms gathered for five intensive days in Lviv, where they sharpened their investigative journalism skills, exchanged experiences, and developed actionable ideas for future reporting projects.

The Bootcamp combined theory with hands-on practice, peer-to-peer learning, and teamwork – all while facing the realities of wartime, with ongoing air raid alerts and missile strike disruptions.

Despite these challenges, participants worked to build a stronger foundation for tackling corruption, exposing misuse of public funds, and holding authorities to account.

Several of these investigations are already in production, with the first reports beginning to emerge:

Investigations without compromise. Meet Alisa Yurchenko’s team in Stronger TogetherUnafraid of сhallenges and experiments: meet Oleksandra Gubytska’s team in Stronger TogetherInvestigative Bootcamp Recap

Diving into democracy at Arendalsuka

In August, a delegation of 16 Ukrainian journalists joined a study tour to Kristiansand and Arendalsuka, Norway’s largest democracy festival.

The programme included a presentation of Agderposten and introduction to Arendalsuka, with editor Katrine Lia and networking with major Norwegian news organisations such as Amedia, NJ, LLA, Nored, Norsk presseforbund, Fagpressen, VG, TV2, NRK, as well as in-depth study visits to Fædrelandsvennen and Avisen Kristiansand.

Beyond exploring new business models and newsroom practices, the tour provided a space to exchange ideas, establish contacts, and reflect on how Ukrainian media can adapt and grow amid extraordinary challenges.

The study tour also served as a base for establishing twinning exchanges between three Nordic and three Ukrainian mid-sized media for long term exchanges, support and knowledge sharing over the next few months.

The event was organised in cooperation with the consortium partner Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association (MBL), whose steering group comprises Randi Øgrey, André Støylen, Siri Skaalmo, and Veslemøy Østrem.

These partners now bring extensive insight and a broad range of experience from Norwegian media and media houses, and contribute to the implementation of the program’s outcome to enhance the benefit from knowledge sharing and collaboration with each other and Nordic media. See Voice of Ukraine at Arendalsuka and Arendalsuka and the secrets of success of Norwegian newsrooms for more information on the event.

Accelerating ahead

WIN’s Ukraine Leadership Accelerator programme launches today, with a keynote address on sharing leadership lessons by Lena K Samuelsson, of WAN-IFRA’sI Media Freedom Board.

This transformative programme is designed to strengthen leadership skills, strategic capacity, and professional networks, equipping participants to navigate today’s complex media landscape.

Adapted from the sector-leading global leadership development programme launched 15 years ago by WAN-IFRA and now active in more than 18 markets around the globe, the WIN Ukraine Leadership Accelerator will launch with 16 successful applicants from the 40 media partners that have joined Stronger Together in year one of the programme.

The initiative kicks off with a live workshop at the 14th Ukrainian Media Congress in Lviv from 3 to 4 October. The event unites independent newsrooms from across the country – including participants from both the investigational and institutional programs of Stronger Together.