Daria Zgura, journalist with the Kremenchuk-based TV channel Vizyt, reported facing pressure, harassment, and body shaming following the release of her news story about the treatment of stray animals in a private animal shelter, Zgura reported to Nadia Kucher, the Institute of Mass Information representative in Poltava oblast.
The journalist said that the story about the organisation Mokri Nosyky and the treatment of animals in their private shelter was released on 16 june and was based on numerous letters by Kremenchuk residents who complained about the shelter causing inconveniences to the neighbours.
Daria Zgura said she had talked to these people while working on the story, and the people had not been opposed to the shelter existing, but pointed out issues that, in their opinion, needed to be resolved.
The journalist also reached out to the shelter for comment.
“To talk to the shelter staff, I arrived, introduced myself as a journalist with Vizyt TV, and told them the purpose of my visit. The person who was there and introduced herself as the owner’s assistant denied me access to the premises, but gave me the organisation owner’s phone number,” the journalist said.
During a phone conversation with the shelter’s owner, Zgura told her that a news story was in the works and offered her to comment on the complaints by neighbours and the shelter’s operations.
“The owner declined our request to enter the premises and gave no substantial comment. At the same time, she said that the farm, which she calls an animal shelter, is not officially registered as a shelter,” said Daria Zgura, adding that she used this information in the news story.
After the material was released, the shelter owner started publicly criticising her on social media, and some comments under the posts about the report attacked Zgura’s looks and personal qualities.
“After the story aired, the owner of the shelter took action against me that, in my opinion, was related to my reporting and aimed to discredit me as a journalist,” Zgura believes.
The journalist added that the shelter’s Instagram page also posted her photos with degrading captions and offensive comparisons.
“Later, on her personal Instagram page, the shelter owner started posting my photos and images with offensive or humiliating captions. She also made posts and stories featuring my photos where she offensively compared me to a pig,” said Daria Zgura.
The posts and comments also mentioned the rest of the Vizyt TV team, which the journalist views as pressure in response to her reporting.
“I think it matters that the aforementioned actions started immediately after the news story was released, targeted me specifically as the author of the story and the journalist who collected the information and prepared the material, and involved posting photos of me and statements aiming to shape a negative attitude towards me because of my reporting,” said the journalist.
The journalist said that she had filed a complaint with the police about pressure and harassment.
IMI representative Nadia Kucher asked the shelter for comment, which they promised to provide later, “after considering the proposal.” The shelter owner told the IMI representative on Instagram that she considered the story to be “one-sided” because it did not include the position of those who support the shelter’s operations.
Still, the owner of the shelter did not list any specific objections in her comment, citing her busy schedule.
“Sorry, but unfortunately I have no time to spend on this dirty story and yet another round of debate around it. I am very tired after a long trip. I just came back from taking my beloved dogs to new families abroad,” the shelter owner wrote, adding that all comments were available on the shelter’s page.