Chernihiv media professionals share how US aid freeze affects them

The suspension of US funding for programs in Ukraine has become a serious challenge for many local media outlets in Chernihiv oblast. Approved grants and projects for media outlets are now frozen, says Pavlo Pushchenko, the Institute of Mass Information coordinator in Chernihiv oblast.

Local media outlets now plan to seek financial support from other sources and mobilize their own resources to the maximum in order to avoid going out of business.

Chernihiv Media Group chief editor Yaroslav Sukhomlyn says that his media outlets have already felt the impact of the program funding suspension, as they had an ongoing grant from the US Embassy which is now frozen.

“It is unclear whether it will be resumed. Now we are mobilizing internal resources, starting active fundraising, a commercial service, and thinking about launching a readers' club,” Sukhomlyn said.

Chernihiv Media Group chief editor Yaroslav Sukhomlyn. Photo by Vladyslav Savenko

Another Chernihiv oblast media outlet, the newspaper Vest, was set to receive a micro-grant from the Institute of Mass Information, but the money is now frozen. According to the editor Olha Makukha, with the local authorities cutting reporting spending to one fourth of the previous amount, the grant money has become a lifeline for them.

“We planned to spend the money on equipment and producing content. It became our lifeline, supporting and inspiring us to continue our work. I am infinitely grateful to Mrs. Oksana Romaniuk for including us in their grantees list. The grant funds made the team and the independence of our newspaper stronger. It is a pity that the money is frozen. But there will always be enough time to give up. We will look for funds elsewhere,” she noted.

Vest editor Olha Makukha. Photo by Vladyslav Savenko

Previously

US President Donald Trump has suspended funding for all projects by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for 90 days. In Ukraine, USAID was supporting hundreds of various media projects.

On January 28, the Media Movement urged citizens and businesses to support independent journalism.

Oksana Romaniuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information, said while discussing the outcomes of USAID suspending funding for all programs and projects that nearly 90% of Ukrainian media survived thanks to grants.

The Mykolaiv oblast media explained what danger the suspension of US grants poses to them.