According to our annual survey, 38% of newsrooms found 2025 more difficult than 2024. Another 25% said the year was «just as challenging,» while 25% described it as «far more difficult and stressful.» Sixty-one media outlets participated in the survey this year.
The workforce crisis has become especially prominent. While low salaries and burnout used to be the key reasons for resignations, this year mobilization topped the list for the first time, cited by 25% of newsrooms – 15 out of 61.
That has created another structural problem: a widening gap between the number of new media professionals entering the field and the number leaving because of relocation, mobilization, or burnout.
In-depth interviews with people in academia made one thing clear: traditional journalism education often struggles to keep up with how fast the industry is changing, particularly in wartime. So we designed Kyiv Media School to be more agile, able to respond quickly both to shifts in the media landscape and to what newsrooms actually need.
We can update our curriculum far faster than a large academic institution. When a new demand appears – AI tools, short-form video, journalist safety – we can build it in almost immediately.
We also bring in practitioners and business experts, so participants pick up strategic-planning skills for their organizations, particularly on the Media Growth course supported by ERSTE Foundation. That helps close the gap between education and practice, and graduates leave with relevant expertise rather than just a certificate.
Джерело: What Happens to Society When Independent Media Disappear?
