Ukraine as an Object of Western Journalism

Duration: 1 hour 35 mins

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Description:	In this podcast, a group of prominent journalists debates the position of Ukraine as an object of Western journalism. The panel discussion was part of the conference 'Ukraine and the Global Information War' organized by Cambridge Ukrainian Studies, an academic centre in the Department of Slavonic Studies at the University of Cambridge. Sabra Ayres, James Marson, Simon Ostrovsky, Peter Pomerantsev and Michael Weiss participate. Anne Applebaum and Rory Finnin moderate the exchange, which took place on 31 October 2014 at King's College, Cambridge.

Description:

In this podcast, a group of prominent journalists debates the position of Ukraine as an object of Western journalism. The panel discussion was part of the conference 'Ukraine and the Global Information War' organized by Cambridge Ukrainian Studies, an academic centre in the Department of Slavonic Studies at the University of Cambridge. Sabra Ayres, James Marson, Simon Ostrovsky, Peter Pomerantsev and Michael Weiss participate. Anne Applebaum and Rory Finnin moderate the exchange, which took place on 31 October 2014 at King's College, Cambridge.


Created:	2014-11-16 01:39
Collection:	Cambridge Ukrainian Studies Podcast
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	R.E. Finnin
Language:	eng (English)
Keywords:	Ukraine; Kremlin propaganda; war in Ukraine; Maidan; journalism; Ukrainian politics; disinfomation;


Abstract:	Ukraine has been described as a country 'in-between in all possible ways' (Mykola Riabchuk). Over the past year, in the midst of uprising and war, it has been caught between a Russian propaganda machine highly active in television, print and Internet media and a European public largely ignorant of its history and culture. Its own mediascape has been caught in a vice between state-run and oligarch-owned outlets. This crisis in representation has had profound implications for the development of a coherent security policy in Europe and for the resolution of an armed conflict in Ukraine that has now claimed thousands of lives. In this podcast, a group of prominent journalists discusses this crisis and debates the position of Ukraine as an object of Western journalism. The panel discussion was part of the conference 'Ukraine and the Global Information War' organized by Cambridge Ukrainian Studies, an academic centre in the Department of Slavonic Studies at the University of Cambridge. Sabra Ayres, James Marson, Simon Ostrovsky, Peter Pomerantsev and Michael Weiss participate. Anne Applebaum and Rory Finnin moderate the exchange, which took place on 31 October 2014 at King's College, Cambridge. Highlights from the discussion: 'That's the main thing I learned [over the past months]: that there is no clear East-West divide [in Ukraine], in my view. It's artificial, and I've had to learn that the hard way.' 'What I've learned from years working in Ukraine... is that the idea of language as a major political topic didn't exist. You couldn't mobilize people around it.' 'One of the mistakes we've made is hyping up the [story of] the [Ukrainian] far right. A lot of us really misrepresented that element in the conflict.' 'We keep falling into the trap' of Kremlin disinformation. As journalists, 'we are supposed to go the country, see what's happening, and then tell people about it. It's that simple. We're not on a mission to take down the Russian propaganda machine or to build up a Ukrainian propaganda machine. As reporters we are supposed to do our job. The rest is not our responsibility.' 'This is a difficult story to cover. I've been in Ukraine for a year, and I've basically watched the country being taken over by another one.' 'People should be asking about Ukraine as a thing itself, not just as some reflection of a terrible conflict.'

Abstract:

Ukraine has been described as a country 'in-between in all possible ways' (Mykola Riabchuk). Over the past year, in the midst of uprising and war, it has been caught between a Russian propaganda machine highly active in television, print and Internet media and a European public largely ignorant of its history and culture. Its own mediascape has been caught in a vice between state-run and oligarch-owned outlets. This crisis in representation has had profound implications for the development of a coherent security policy in Europe and for the resolution of an armed conflict in Ukraine that has now claimed thousands of lives.

In this podcast, a group of prominent journalists discusses this crisis and debates the position of Ukraine as an object of Western journalism. The panel discussion was part of the conference 'Ukraine and the Global Information War' organized by Cambridge Ukrainian Studies, an academic centre in the Department of Slavonic Studies at the University of Cambridge. Sabra Ayres, James Marson, Simon Ostrovsky, Peter Pomerantsev and Michael Weiss participate. Anne Applebaum and Rory Finnin moderate the exchange, which took place on 31 October 2014 at King's College, Cambridge.

Highlights from the discussion:

'That's the main thing I learned [over the past months]: that there is no clear East-West divide [in Ukraine], in my view. It's artificial, and I've had to learn that the hard way.'

'What I've learned from years working in Ukraine... is that the idea of language as a major political topic didn't exist. You couldn't mobilize people around it.'

'One of the mistakes we've made is hyping up the [story of] the [Ukrainian] far right. A lot of us really misrepresented that element in the conflict.'

'We keep falling into the trap' of Kremlin disinformation.

As journalists, 'we are supposed to go the country, see what's happening, and then tell people about it. It's that simple. We're not on a mission to take down the Russian propaganda machine or to build up a Ukrainian propaganda machine. As reporters we are supposed to do our job. The rest is not our responsibility.'

'This is a difficult story to cover. I've been in Ukraine for a year, and I've basically watched the country being taken over by another one.'

'People should be asking about Ukraine as a thing itself, not just as some reflection of a terrible conflict.'

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