Ukrainian Investigative Journalists After the Euromaidan: Their Role Conceptions and Worldviews

Oleksandr Yaroshchuk

doi:10.18523/kmhj219660.2020-7.101-121

Abstract

In recent years, an increased interest in journalistic roles has inspired multiple empirical studies aimed at establishing the journalistic role conception and performance of journalists worldwide. Ukraine is not an exception. Studies published in recent years show that the professional culture of journalists in Ukraine is changing, resulting in the “blurring of boundaries” between journalism and activism. Moreover, Ukrainian journalists also show a high degree of political engagement. However, these studies have not measured the specific professional settings of investigative journalists, who form a unique community in the Ukrainian media system. Therefore, this study is devoted to uncovering the role conceptions of Ukrainian investigative journalists, their professional identities, and culture. The results show that many journalists express multiple roles: a “populist mobilizer” combined with “watchdog” role, or “watchdog” combined with “critical change agent” role. This confirms the hypothesis that a multiplicity of roles and blurring of boundaries are also present among investigative journalists.

Highlights

Ukraine has experienced serious political, economic, and legal changes and challenges in the past 30 years
They were asked about acceptable ways of receiving information, the boundaries of investigative journalism, their individual struggles, how newsroom decisions influence their role conceptions and stories they produce, as well as questions concerning their engagement in social activism and political life
It appears that Ukrainian investigative journalists possess differing, sometimes contradicting, role conceptions

Summary

Introduction

Ukraine has experienced serious political, economic, and legal changes and challenges in the past 30 years. Unlike at private media companies, they were launched by journalists themselves and financed either by the people via crowdfunding initiatives or by grants that became available to journalists in large numbers This new media reality shaped the journalistic community and individual journalists’ perceptions of themselves as a separate caste of professionals, whose role is often described in terms of a “fourth estate” or “watchdog.” But what exactly do investigative journalists think of themselves? This article explores the role conceptions of Ukrainian investigative journalists It focuses on how Ukrainian investigative journalists with differing backgrounds and career circumstances perceive their roles in the complex Ukrainian media context after the Euromaidan, amidst war in Eastern Ukraine, and political and economic turmoil. The article concludes this overview with a discussion of the main types of role conceptions shared by Ukrainian investigative journalists

A Theoretical Framework

Results

Discussion and Conclusions