Our project “Platform for discussion and overcoming problems of IDPs” had a socially important topic and was aimed at helping internally displaced persons solve existing problems and challenges. Specifically, addressing employment and the need for legal and psychological assistance.

An important component of each produced material included effective advice and contacts from relevant free government or public initiatives. These materials were in the form of instructions, recommendations and roadmaps for solving problems and overcoming challenges.

Why did we choose this particular topic? It’s simple. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought destruction, death and grief to the south-eastern territories of our country. The war did not reach Poltava, our city turned into a real humanitarian hub and became a new home for tens of thousands of internally displaced persons.

These people usually have many common problems that can be solved through free government and community initiatives. Government organizations that offer free assistance often lack a structured and clear information policy, while public organizations face challenges in accessing media resources. This creates a rather unpleasant situation: internally displaced persons have specific needs and lack any information on how to meet them.

This was the reason for our focus on this particular socially important topic.

Editing director Serhii Heneralov at work

This project enabled our media to increase the amount of regionally significant social content produced and published. And also to strengthen our presence on digital platforms.

The project lasted two months (October and November 2023). The first stage of the project involved conducting live panel discussions, while the second stage focused on creating and distributing three mini-films. In total, from October 1 to November 30, the Facebook page coverage increased by 20.6%, and the traffic surged by 111.9% compared to the previous period.

Facebook page metrics

Every socially important project has two key elements that guarantee its success: an experienced creative team and effective interaction with representatives of the authorities and public organizations.

The team of Poltava Public TV has been working for several years and has implemented similar projects before. he assistance of the mentor from the Ukrainian Media Business Association, who provided us with recommendations and necessary contacts, was also crucial for our project.

We also encountered no issues when involving representatives of government agencies and public organizations in the filming process. Why? Our project was not biased and became a platform where civil servants and activists could talk about their activities.

In conclusion, we can emphasize: make sure to implement the ideas of your socially important projects. This will not only increase respect and interest in your media, but also really help the residents of your region.

This publication was created with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of Poltava Public TV and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.