In an interview with AOAV’s Government Director Iain Overton, journalist Anna Vlasenko displays on her experiences reporting on the warfare in Ukraine, the influence it has had on her personally, and the significance of amplifying the reality by way of her work.
Iain Overton: How lengthy have you ever been working as a journalist, producer, and fixer?
Anna Vlasenko: I began working as a fixer in 2014. Round April 2014, I started my work in Donetsk and Lugansk, primarily with French media. Later that yr, in the direction of the top of 2014, I transitioned to working with a humanitarian organisation as a undertaking supervisor.
Iain Overton: Who did you’re employed for?
Anna Vlasenko: I labored for GIZ, a German organisation.
Iain Overton: And what had been your obligations with them?
Anna Vlasenko: I managed tasks for internally displaced individuals, significantly specializing in psychological assist. We supplied help to rehabilitation centres and carried out tasks that concerned coaching employees on coping with psychological trauma. The purpose was to show native specialists how one can successfully assist and help traumatised people in numerous settings akin to hospitals, colleges, employment centres, and rehabilitation centres.
Iain Overton: So, earlier than that, what had been you doing?
Anna Vlasenko: Earlier than that, I labored as a undertaking supervisor for a corporation. Moreover, I began freelance writing for key media shops.
Iain Overton: What sort of subjects did you freelance write about?
Anna Vlasenko: Principally lifestyle-related articles and interviews. The articles centered extra on life-style and related topics. My most important training was in programme administration on the Nationwide Academy of Public Administration. Journalism was my secondary training
Iain Overton: If the invasion in 2014 and 2022 hadn’t occurred, do you suppose you’ll nonetheless be working in a mix of administration roles and freelancing?
Anna Vlasenko: Sure, all through my life, I’ve all the time had a mix of undertaking administration and journalism roles. Earlier than the full-scale invasion, I labored as a media literacy undertaking supervisor. I used to be occupied with combating propaganda and influencing public opinion by way of media and social media channels. It was a difficulty I needed to deal with.
Iain Overton: Have you ever been displaced as a reporter?
Anna Vlasenko: No, I moved away from Kharkiv two years earlier than the full-scale invasion.
Iain Overton: For the reason that invasion, who have you ever labored for?
Anna Vlasenko: Final yr, I labored as the principle producer for International Information Canada. I additionally labored as a journalist on their net web page for them.
Iain Overton: What sort of tales did you cowl with them?
Anna Vlasenko: I lined a variety of tales, together with investigations, human curiosity items, and tales from liberated villages within the Kharkiv and Kherson areas. We lined numerous subjects, from particular person tales to bigger investigations, such because the case of an 11-year-old lady who was killed, the place we delved into discovering out who was accountable.
Iain Overton: Have you ever personally witnessed any violence or harmful conditions whereas working as a reporter? Have you ever been near bombings or shootings?
Anna Vlasenko: Luckily, I haven’t been in very shut proximity to violence. There was an incident the place an explosion occurred roughly 50-100 meters away from us throughout a reporting task. We might hear the blast because of the shorter distance, but it surely was nonetheless a harrowing expertise.
Iain Overton: In your work, have you ever primarily collaborated with the identical reporters, or have you ever labored with completely different individuals?
Anna Vlasenko: Final yr, I collaborated with six reporters, however they had been on rotation. I primarily labored with two reporters—one for TV and one for on-line writing. The groups would change and rotate often.
Iain Overton: It have to be attention-grabbing to work with completely different reporters and construct relationships rapidly. How do you navigate such conditions the place you could be going into harmful areas with unfamiliar individuals?
Anna Vlasenko: Firstly, I’m very obsessed with my work, and it’s not nearly cash for me. It’s about my nation and the significance of showcasing the reality. I belief my instinct and depend on the workforce I’m working with. If there’s no belief and luxury throughout the workforce, it turns into difficult to supply good materials. We assist and maintain one another, creating a way of household. It’s important to have working dynamic and produce high quality work reasonably than focusing solely on private recognition.
Iain Overton: Are you able to recall a state of affairs the place you disagreed with a sure strategy or felt that it was too harmful?
Anna Vlasenko: As an illustration, throughout a go to to a security-sensitive space, it wasn’t simply my determination however a collective one made by the workforce. We needed to assess the dangers and decide whether or not it was acceptable to proceed. Security all the time takes precedence over the significance of a narrative. In a single explicit case, we initially determined to depart a location because of the dangerbut returned the next day as a result of the story was vital. Nevertheless, we all the time prioritise our security over the story itself.
Iain Overton: Do you’re feeling any rigidity between being a essential journalist and a patriotic Ukrainian, particularly in conditions the place dangerous information about Ukraine could be reported?
Anna Vlasenko: Personally, since I primarily work with international media, my perspective is barely completely different. I purpose to current an correct image of occasions reasonably than selling a selected agenda. If I had been to put in writing for Ukrainian media, the strategy would possibly differ. Finally, I need to present the reality with out bias or private motives. My loyalty lies with my nation, however I attempt to take care of knowledgeable and goal strategy in my work.
Iain Overton: Have you ever confronted any backlash from Ukrainian authorities or people concerning your reporting for international media shops?
Anna Vlasenko: There have been cases the place some accreditation requests had been denied – although not individuals working with me – indicating a attainable dissatisfaction with the fabric or its protection. Nevertheless, I can not communicate for the federal government’s monitoring of all international reporting. It’s a fancy panorama with data wars and numerous views. However personally, I concentrate on presenting the reality to one of the best of my talents.
Iain Overton: With the rise of disinformation and manipulated information, do you suppose international journalists coming to Ukraine are well-informed concerning the actuality of the state of affairs?
Anna Vlasenko: It is determined by the journalist’s private strategy, curiosity, and stage of involvement. Some journalists select to remain on the floor and report from a distance, whereas others dig deeper and have interaction with numerous sources to know the state of affairs absolutely. Their involvement and the questions they ask will decide the depth of their reporting.
Iain Overton: Have you ever noticed any cases the place journalists have proven a scarcity of compassion or shocked you with their behaviour?
Anna Vlasenko: Personally, I haven’t encountered such cases. There’s typically a way of assist and understanding amongst journalists. Nevertheless, I can’t communicate for each journalist’s behaviour as experiences could range.
Iain Overton: Given the distinctive nature of this warfare in comparison with others, do you suppose journalists who’ve beforehand reported on wars akin to Iraq and Afghanistan have a special notion of the state of affairs in Ukraine?
Anna Vlasenko: It’s tough for me to match, as I haven’t labored in Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Nevertheless, I’ve heard from colleagues who’ve labored in these areas that the circumstances and risks may be fairly intense. Every warfare has its personal distinctive challenges and dynamics. For instance, through the assault on the restaurant in Kramatorsk, which concerned journalists, it was a random and unlucky occasion. It’s vital to contemplate the context and the precise circumstances when assessing the character of conflicts and the dangers journalists face.
Iain Overton: By way of the latest battle, do you suppose it has modified you? How has the warfare impacted you personally?
Anna Vlasenko: Personally, the warfare has modified me. I’ve turn out to be extra centered on turning into the particular person I need to be. It has made me realise the significance of taking accountability for my very own life and the lives of my family members. There’s all the time uncertainty about whether or not I’ll see my grandmother or father alive, as they dwell within the occupied territories. The warfare has made me a extra open particular person, and I’m extra centered on doing what I imagine is true for myself and for my nation. I attempt to do as a lot as attainable in my job to assist present what is occurring inside our nation. In a manner, journalists have turn out to be troopers on the battlefield, making the invisible seen.
Iain Overton: As a journalist, have you ever confronted challenges when it comes to relationships and beginning a household because of the nature of your work and the fixed journey?
Anna Vlasenko: Sure, in fact, I need to have a household, kids, and a house. However at the moment, it looks like this function just isn’t attainable. The state of affairs is unsure, and it looks like playing. Life has its personal filters and plans.
Iain Overton: Have you ever noticed a development among the many journalists you’ve labored with concerning how rigorous they’re in verifying details? Do you suppose some journalists imagine issues too simply with out thorough investigation?
Anna Vlasenko: Most journalists attempt to monitor completely different sources, together with telegram channels, numerous media shops, each Ukrainian and international, to get a complete view of the state of affairs. We attempt to confirm data from completely different angles and discuss to as many individuals as attainable. It’s vital to get a number of views and never depend on a single supply.
Iain Overton: Have you ever been impressed by the multi-source strategy taken by journalists? Or have you ever noticed cases the place journalists have run with issues with out correct scrutiny?
Anna Vlasenko: Since 2014, the journalists I’ve labored with have showna dedication to integrity and rigorous reporting. I’ve had good lecturers who’ve emphasised the significance of thorough analysis and verification. For me, this multi-source strategy is pure and the way it ought to be.
Iain Overton: Wanting into the longer term, what do you suppose will occur within the warfare? And what do you see for your self personally?
Anna Vlasenko: The way forward for the warfare is unsure, and I imagine all of us need victory and peace as quickly as attainable. As for myself, I’ll proceed reporting and doing what I can to assist my nation. Taking breaks is vital for self-care, however my function right here is my selection, and I discover worth in what I do.
Iain Overton: Regardless of the dangers and challenges you face as a journalist, do you discover consolation in figuring out that you’re doing one thing helpful by amplifying the voices of Ukraine and revealing the reality of the warfare to the world?
Anna Vlasenko: Completely. I imagine that by doing my job and presenting the reality, I can affect the choices of politicians and the assist our nation receives from international nations. It’s about making an influence past simply reaching an area viewers in Ukraine. We’re amplifying the voices of a nation and creating consciousness internationally. That brings me a way of consolation and goal.
The journey for this text was generously funded by a Justice for Journalists Basis Grant. All editorial management remained with AOAV.
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