Ukrainian media professionals name top-5 challenges in 2024 – annual IMI survey

Media professionals named the top five challenges to freedom of speech in Ukraine in 2024. For the second year in a row, the number one challenge is psychological exhaustion, lack of rest, and constant stress, reported by 79.2% of journalists surveyed by IMI. In 2023, this figure was slightly higher: 82.1%.

These are the results of the anonymous quantitative online survey carried out in questionnaire form by the Institute of Mass Information on December 1–17, 2024. 120 journalists from all oblasts of Ukraine took the survey*.

Economic and financial difficulties ranked second (reported by 68.3% of surveyed journalists). For comparison: economic challenges were third on the list in 2023 even though 72.6% of journalists reported experiencing them. The drop in the number of respondents pointing to this problem (from 72.6 to 68.3%) may suggest that some journalists have adapted to the new reality or that there is an outflow of specialists in the industry.

Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine ranked third (67.5%)**. This result indicates that safety risks remain a critical issue for Ukrainian media even though mental health and economic challenges were perceived as prevailing by the respondents.

Another challenge in the top-5 as reported by the surveyed journalists was the staffing crisis in the media (43.3%) and the growing influence of Telegram channels posting manipulative content and disinformation (39.2%). Overall, the top challenges have remained unchanged throughout the almost three years of the full-scale war in Ukraine. The lack of personnel in the media, which journalists are increasingly noticing, is an exception. Previous IMI surveys have showed that from September 2023 to October 2024, only 32% of Ukrainian media teams were able to keep a stable workforce and avoid losing employees**.

35% of surveyed media workers reported that their working and living conditions were difficult due to Russia's war on Ukraine. For comparison: in 2023, only 27% of journalists had this complaint. Such results may suggest further destruction of infrastructure, limited access to basic services in the affected regions, and a general decline in the standard of living. Furthermore, 31.7% of the surveyed journalists mentioned war-related safety challenges.

Interestingly, only 7% of the surveyed media professionas reported facing obstruction by the military, compared to 23.2% in 2023. This may be a result of amendments being introduced to Decree No. 73 and of the dismissal of certain officials who were in conflict with the media, all of which occurred in 2024. Still, the journalists reported that obstruction of their work by all other groups (officials, ordinary citizens) has increased: in 2023, this was mentioned by 16.4% of the surveyed journalists mentioned this, while in 2024 the number grew to 27.5%.

2024 findings. Annual survey of media professionals by the Institute of Mass Information. Diagram by the IMI

The IMI also asked journalists to name the professional risks they or their colleagues faced in 2024.

• 65.8% of media professionals reported an increase in workload, which is the highest indicator in the last three years (it was 59% in 2023 and 48.7% in 2022). This figure correlates with the staffing crisis, which clearly manifested in the responses to the IMI survey for the first time this year. Accordingly, journalists who remain on their team have to work for several colleagues, which leads to overworking and emotional exhaustion**.
• The same number of media professionals (65.8%) reported mental health problems (PTSD, depression, chronic stress), which is 8.3% higher than in 2023. This indicates that the problem has become chronic amid the war and other professional challenges**.
• A new challenge in 2024 was journalists being conscripted in the UAF: 28.3% of media professionals reported that this affected the stability of their team's work.
• 27.5% of the media workers surveyed by the IMI reported a drop in audince. This global trend in the media is a consequence of the audience's changing media behavior and its outflow to social media. In Ukraine, this challenge iis exacerbated by the growing competition in the media sector (reported by 14.2% of the respondents)**.
• The shrinking range of topics available for reporting has become a less relevant challenge in 2024 (reported by 25.8% of journalists). For comparison: in 2023, 32.8% of the media workers surveyed by the IMI reported this. Another 23.3% of respondents mentioned censorship / self-censorship due to the difficult situation in the country as a challenge**.
• Interestingly, 10% of respondents faced difficulties embracing new technology, using AI in their work, etc. 7.5% of respondents said they had to abandon journalism in 2024**.

On freedom of speech in Ukraine:

• 51% of journalists believe that the freedom of speech in Ukraine has deteriorated (it was 41.1% in 2023 and 43.4% in 2022).
• 28% said that the freedom of speech situation has not changed (compared to 33.6% in 2023).
• The share of those who believe that it has improved has dropped to 3% (compared to 4.1% in 2023 and 5.3% in 2022).
• 18% of the respondents were unable to give an unambiguous assessment of the situation (the figure was slightly higher in 2023 – 21.2%).

This suggests a growing pessimism among journalists regarding the freedom of speech situation in Ukraine. Journalists working in Kyiv, the eastern and western regions of Ukraine are most depressed about freedom of speech. The media workers in the central, southern and northwestern regions are overall more optimistic.

Despite the challenges, 2024 also saw positive trends for the media.

55% of journalists noted that they were able to stabilize their work despite hardship. This highlights the resilience of Ukrainian journalists and their adaptability.

53% launched new projects or segmants, which shows journalists' willingness to respond to new demands for information from the audience. This can also be considered a manifestation of strategic thinking while working with limited resources.

51% ensured their professional growth through training. Significant attention to training suggests that journalists are highly motivated to build their skills and that there is a demand for training in the media environment.

37% reported audience growth in their media outlet.

43% of the surveyed media outlets received financial support in the form of grants. Grant support allows the media to stay afloat and launch new initiatives despite the difficulties they currently face in Ukraine. However, the number 43% points to the necessity to expand such programs.

Nearly 52.5% said they successfully reported important topics, including investigations, and released content that they were proud of.

Furthermore, 28% of media offices modernized their technology and workflows in 2024.

17.5% of media professionals received an award, prize or other recognition for their work**.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The IMI survey demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of the Ukrainian media community, which, despite numerous challenges, continues to fulfill an important role in society, preserving freedom of speech in wartime.

• Psychological exhaustion, which became the number one challenge for Ukrainian journalists in 2024 (79.2%), is a long-term consequence of chronic stress, professional burnout, wartime conditions and lack of rest. This points to a need for comprehensive mental health support (perhaps this is true not only for journalists, but for other groups of citizens as well). Programs that would provide journalists with access to free or subsidized sessions with professional therapists, in particular those specializing in trauma therapy, are necessary. Trainings on emotional self-regulation, practice classes where journalists can learn stress management techniques (e.g. breathing exercises, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation) are also an option.
• Media outlets should offer flexible working conditions, rotations and mandatory vacations. Support within the team, when colleagues can discuss emotional challenges and strategies for overcoming them and provide support to each other, is also important.
• Financial instability and outdated technical infrasructure remain a key challenge for Ukrainian media outlets in 2024. Effective grant support is still a decisive factor in maintaining the stability and independence of the media in Ukraine.
• Defending freedom of speech, especially in wartime, remains a priority task for Ukrainian journalism. Namely, bill No. 11321, which will increase the transparency of the legislative process and provide citizens with better access to information, has to be adopted. Attacks on journalists and media workers also should be promptly investigated.
• The survey showed that media professionals pay quite a lot of attention to training and innovation. Next year, media outlets will use AI even more to automate routine tasks and generate multimedia content, and will develop their social media presence. Training in AI use, data analysis, creating social media content, and working with the audience will be relevant.

*The survey was carried out on December 1–17, 2024, with a total of 120 responses received from media professionals from all regions of Ukraine. Of those, 72,5% were women and 27.5% were men. The maximum error margin is 5%.

**The sum of answers does not equal 100 as respondents could choose multiple options.