Hello Valeria! You are currently working as a journalist, could you tell us whether you consider journalism to be a profession or a hobby?
In my opinion, first of all you have to love journalism, because it’s a job where you don’t have weekends, holidays or vacations. It’s a 24/7 job: day and night. Of course, it’s quite exhausting, and especially when everyone’s going on holiday with their families, and you’re on another business trip or working that day, it’s certainly offensive. But if you really love journalism, it won’t matter to you whether you spend your free time on a holiday or, for example, creating a story. Of course, you need to be able to balance it so that you have enough time not only for work, but also for your family and hobbies. If you really love journalism, you will succeed in whatever you set out to do.
How did you get into journalism?
I got into journalism at the end of 9th grade. A classmate took an article to a social pedagogue and I went with her. The social pedagogue, Igor Vladimirovich, offered me to write some material as well. I wrote it. Later the material was published on the school’s website. I remember the adrenaline rush when you see your article. You realise that it has been published, that it has been recognised as worth reading by others. It was also signed with my name and surname. I really enjoyed it. I believed that I could create all sorts of interesting material, that I could write for people, that they would read it. And get a so-called thrill out of it. Then I started to realise that this was really my thing. Then I set up a school radio station and started making videos: I filmed various school events. And that was how my journey into journalism began.
Did you regret choosing this field, or was it difficult for you?
Journalism has never been difficult for me, because all this time, since the 9th grade (I finished school a long time ago), I have never regretted being in this profession, which is very important. After school, I entered the National University of Culture and Arts in Kyiv. I studied at the Department of PR and Journalism. During my studies I did various internships, went to practice, we were taken to various events where we worked as journalists. I also took part in various competitions and Olympiads, winning many times. And one day I got into investigative journalism and became an investigative journalist. That was the beginning of my journey as a TV journalist.
Excuse me, how long have you been a journalist?
I have been a TV journalist for 5 years now. I really like it.
Valeria, what are you working on at the moment?
I am working on several projects. At the moment, they are mostly political and military issues. You could say I work as a correspondent. The biggest advantage of this kind of work is the ability to work remotely. For example, I recently returned from Poland, where I was the creative director of a group, and nothing prevented me from working there. I have also travelled to the frontline many times to do my reporting.
Did you know right away that journalism was your vocation?
Journalism is indeed my vocation. I understand that now and, to be honest, it comes with experience. When you have gone through a certain period of life, seen the structure of the work, the working conditions, worked in different positions, in different publications, you have some experience, and you understand that you are really in your place. You become confident that you have made the right choice. You realise that you have something to be proud of.
How did you come to know the war?
I came to know the war live, so to speak. On the first day of the war, when the shelling stated, when they started bombing Gostomel, I went to work in Kyiv, and we stayed there until six in the morning the next day. That is to say, I arrived at work at 11 o’clock and left at 6 the next morning. We stayed in the bomb shelter from 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning until 6 o’clock in the morning, and then we left at about 8 o’clock in the morning. I couldn’t get to Vorzel because the bridges had been blown up and there was no way to get there, so I stayed with relatives in Kyiv for two weeks and worked there. Sometimes I worked in bomb shelters, wherever I could. I only had two phones to work with because all my belongings, including my laptops, were locked up in Vorzel.
I know you also visited the frontline areas, how was that?
I remember a trip to Zaporizhzhia, when the city was bombed very heavily on the first day, there were arrivals in the centre where I was, and the roof blew off near me. Before that I was in Sloviansk, and even there there were no such terrible explosions as in Zaporizhzhya.
I was also in the Donetsk region on business. There was massive shelling there too, and I can’t say I was scared, but I did feel a certain responsibility for the material.
Is there a difference between peacetime journalism and wartime journalism?
Journalism in wartime has become more complicated, first because you have to work more in the field. Of course, it’s not just the conditions in the field that make a difference. When you are on the frontline, you have to think about your own safety, think about what should be mentioned in the material and what should not. You also have to look at your videos very carefully so as not to harm the military in any way. That was the most important thing for me, to do no harm.
You know, like the Hippocratic Oath for doctors: «Do no harm». Well, in war journalism, I would call that the first commandment of a journalist… Because people’s lives and, of course, my country’s victory depend on it. At the same time, I am categorically against not talking about the war, about the fighting, about not going to the front. Nor do I support a ban on journalists going to the front, because the information war waged by the aggressor country is complex, and it is important to resist it.
I believe that journalists now have a mission to tell the world about the war in Ukraine, to prevent the world from forgetting that there is a war going on, that people are dying here every day. That Ukraine is fighting for freedom and peaceful life for the whole of Europe with its shield, at the cost of the lives of its best sons and daughters.
Valeria, what are your plans for the future?
I am planning to start my own business. I’ve also received an offer to take part in a new project, but I’m not going to tell you what it is yet. I don’t think I’m going to stand still, because I have a lot of ideas and I see the prospect of realising them.
Does that mean you are leaving journalism?
No, not at all! Journalism is not a job for me, it’s my pleasure. In my opinion, life would not feel «full» without it. I will definitely continue to work in journalism.
Translator: Ivan Chepaykin
