Investigative journalism is critically important for regional media — especially in times of war. Journalists are now tasked not only with documenting and exposing war crimes, but also with uncovering internal abuses and corruption schemes. This work strengthens public trust in local authorities and helps build a transparent society. It’s not just about budget efficiency — it’s about security, accountability, and justice.
Often, regional media lack the resources, knowledge, experience, or expert support needed for investigative reporting. That’s why the Association «Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine», in partnership with the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association (MBL) — and with the support of Norway — has launched the project Stronger Together: Transparency and Anti-Corruption.
This initiative aims to strengthen the investigative capacity of regional media and support their role in uncovering wrongdoing and promoting accountability.
Out of 234 applications, the project’s expert panel selected 18 editorial teams that will receive mentorship, expert guidance, and financial support to produce investigative reports. The selection process was open and transparent, with evaluations carried out by an independent commission of media business professionals.
Selected editorial teams include:
18000 – Cherkasy
4 Vlada – Rivne region
Intent – Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson regions
Information agency «Center of Journalistic Investigations» – Kherson/Crimea
Kolo.News – Poltava
Kremenchutskyi Telegraf – Kremenchuk
Locator-Media – Zaporizhzhia region
Molodyi Bukovynets – Chernivtsi
Poltava Wave – Poltava
RIA Media and 20 hvylyn – Vinnytsia
RIA Plus and 20 hvylyn – Ternopil
Sim Dniv (Chernihiv Media Group) – Chernihiv
Skhidnyi Variant – Donetsk region
Tochka Dostupu – Kirovohrad region
Tsentr Media – Odesa
VGORU – Kherson
Ye.ua – Khmelnytskyi
Zaporizhzhia Center of Investigation – Zaporizhzhia
Congratulations to all selected participants!
Ahead lies a journey of meaningful work: meeting with mentors and experts, diving deep into local issues, planning investigations, and discussing the outcomes. Together, we’ll strengthen regional journalism and build a more transparent society.
— We believe that without strong investigative journalism, it is impossible to build a resilient civil society. That’s why we support editorial teams that work for truth, transparency, and their communities. Our Stronger Together: Transparency and Anti-Corruption program is not just about financial assistance — it’s about strengthening trust, leadership, and professionalism. It’s about building capable investigative newsrooms across Ukraine’s regions that can consistently and independently expose corruption and drive real change, —says Oksana Brovko, СEO of the Association «Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine» (AIRPPU).
We also recently announced the selected participants of the Revenue Accelerator Stream — our institutional support program for regional media. More details — HERE.
From May 2 to 6, the first stage of the Stronger Together program took place — 15 Ukrainian media professionals traveled to Kraków to attend the World News Media Congress.
The program Stronger Together: Media and Democracy is implemented by the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) in partnership with the Association «Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine» (AIRPPU) and the Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association (MBL) — with the support of Norway.
