Digital media caught between revolution and information - The case of Ukraine

Hosted by: Deutsche Welle

Ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to suspend preparations for signing an association agreement with the EU in Vilnius sparked a wave of antigovernment protests in Ukraine at the end of November 2013. Using social media for self-organization, Ukrainians started gathering on the central square of Kyiv – the Maidan. The demonstrations, which quickly became known as Euromaidan, became an arduous political conflict between the protestors and the Ukrainian government, resulting not only in a political revolution, but also leading to international crisis when Russia seized control of the Crimean peninsula. Since its beginning, the Ukrainian crisis has been accompanied by a storm of mutual information attacks among conflicting parties. National and international media were caught up in an information war trying to get a grip on what was happening.

Digital media had a crucial impact on the sequence of events. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, connected thousands of people who took to the streets and served as a coordination platform for all kinds of activities on the Maidan. Social networks made it possible to disseminate urgent information, collect financial support and,seek medical aid. Journalists used digital media to cover events and take advantage of new opportunities. Professional journalists and citizen journalists alike launched several online video streams to broadcast the events in central Kyiv and other hotspots in Ukraine. On the other side of the coin, the pressure on independent media outlets in Russia increased and the state-controlled media in Russia portrayed events from a biased viewpoint. Media reporting in the United States, Europe, Ukraine and Russia portrayed different, sometimes mutually exclusive pictures of the political situation.

The case of Ukraine shows the strengths and the challenges that digital media face in the 21st century: Does the Internet help to disseminate the truth? Or is it a realm of half-truths and propaganda lies? Is it possible to confront propaganda without becoming part of it? What can journalists do to prevent themselves from becoming victims of an information war?And how can digital media contribute to a reconciliation of Russians and Ukrainians?

Panelists:

Goncharenko, Roman
Editor, Department for Europe and Russia

Leshchenko, Sergii
Deputy Editor-in-Chief "Ukrainska Prawda" online, Ukraine

Popova, Alena
Online Activist, Blogger, Russia

Romaniuk, Oksana
Reporters without Borders, Ukraine

Moderation:

Mannteufel, Ingo
Head of the department for Europe and Russia, Deutsche Welle, Germany