EU to hold focus group meeting for effective support of Ukrainian media

The European Union will announce the opening of grant applications by media outlets for a new competition by the end of May, said EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova during her visit to Cherkasy on March 28, reports Yelena Shchepak, regional representative of the Institute of Mass Information.

“We are now preparing what we call an 'invitation to apply for the competition'. We think that it will be released by the end of May,” Mathernova said.

She added that Nicolò Gasparini, the press attaché of the EU Delegation to Ukraine “who has very serious connections among regional and local media,” will be involved as a consultant in the implementation of the project.

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova visiting Cherkasy on March 28, 2025. Photo by European Union in Ukraine on Facebook

“Not all approaches that work for national media outlets can work for regional and local ones. We may need to develop ideas, hold a focus group meeting,” added Ms. Katarina.

Her comment was preceded by a speech by Tetyana Kalynovska, chief esitor of the regional newspaper Cherkaskyi Krai. The journalist mentioned that half of the regional and local print media outlets in Cherkasy oblast had gone out of print due to the crisis. In response to these words, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine invited Kalynovska to join the focus group.

Katarina Mathernova reported that the European Union has allocated 100 million euros to support the media in Ukraine since 2017.

Cherkasy journalists meeting Katarina Mathernova, photo by European Union in Ukraine on Facebook

“There was a panic following the USAID support suspension that the media would go bankrupt, that there would be no more independent media. But we have always been here, we will continue to work in Ukraine,” the Ambassador assured.

It was reported earlier that the European Union would allocate 10 million euros to support independent media in Ukraine. Another 44 million will be allocated to support civil society organizations. Of those, 6 million euros will be allocated to support women's leadership and fighting violence.