IMI representative Oksana Trokoz meets students to discuss working in media, Mediabaza Zhytomyr capabilities

Oksana Trokoz, the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) representative in Zhytomyr oblast, met with students to discuss modern journalism, journalism education, and the opportunities that Mediabaza Zhytomyr opens up for local media professionals.

She was invited to meet with journalism students by the faculty of the Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University. Oksana Trokoz spoke about the modern challenges of journalism, journalistic standards, genres, and approaches to ethics.

She also presented the work of the Mediabaza Zhytomyr hub. The Institute of Mass Information's regional hub has been operating as a resource center for journalists for over two years. According to the IMI representative, media professionals can use the co-working space here, equipped with everything they need. Furthermore, the hub provides safety gear (bulletproof vests and helmets) for working in dangerous conditions and regularly hosts educational events.

Oksana Trokoz with Zhytomyr Politechnic students and faculty. Photo by Sofia Zinchuk

“The Mediabaza regularly hosts training classes in safety, first aid, journalism standards, nuances of media law, fundraising, and practical workshops on OSINT, fact-checking, cellphone photography, video editing, etc. We encourage not just active media professionals, but also journalism students and teachers to participate in such events,” said Oksana Trokoz.

Chair of Philosophy, History, and Mass Communications Department of the Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University, Vadym Slyusar, said that effective journalism education should be based on a combination of theory and practice:

“We employ teachers with experience working in the media, as well as practicing journalists who teach courses and give master classes. We have chosen a mixed approach: students receive theoretical knowledge in classrooms, and practical skills are acquired while creating reports, interviews, and analytical material,” said Vadym Slyusar.

He added that the department actively cooperates with local media outlets, such as partnering with the TV channels SK-1, Suspilne Zhytomyr, STV, the radio station New Day FM, as well as several online news outlets. Students undergo internships in media teams, participate in filming, and some have been working in the media as journalists or editors since their first year.

The students actively participated in the discussion, shared their own experiences working in the media and said that they would like to learn more about topics that are of particular relevance for journalists today. In particular, they were interested in how to effectively work with social media, create videos, record interviews, and in trying their hand at investigative journalism.

In April 2024, Olena Holub, an analyst at the Institute of Mass Information, gave two lectures to students of the Ivan Franko University of Zhytomyr and the Zhytomyr Polytechnic University, discussing the High Quality List of transparent and responsible media, teaching the students to identify high quality media outlets, avoid manipulative content and adhere to journalism standards.