The war in Ukraine has drawn coverage from news organisations across the world. This coverage has come with widespread discussion on the best ways to cover such conflicts. What is the best way to report on such traumatic issues sensitively? How do reporters avoid misinformation? How can social media be helpful in reporting on war?
TikTok
Citizens affected by the conflict have taken to TikTok to broadcast footage of the war. A video of Diana Totok saying goodbye to her father as she crossed the border into Romania received 19.8 million views.
The BBC joined TikTok, immediately platforming their coverage of Ukraine. Three days into their debut, they have taken to the short video format to show, for example, how people are sheltering and taking refuge during bombings.
Expanding our borders of media consumption
The Kyiv Independent grew in popularity as the war in Ukraine began, as a source of English-language journalism in Ukraine. With 1.8 million followers on Twitter, the publication has asserted itself as an authority in the conflict.
From this, we can understand the importance of consuming news outside our own country’s bubble. There are plenty of English-language media organisations in non-English speaking countries doing excellent reportage of their own conflicts – The Kyiv Independent is an example of that.
The importance of fact checking
With increasingly online reporting, the risk of misinformation and disinformation is high. Many media organisations have taken the reporting in Ukraine to highlight the dangers of disinformation and show the importance of viewers engaging in their own fact-checking.
A Twitter thread by First Draft News provides information on how anyone can fact-check what is going on, including how to run reverse image searches, how to check for imposter accounts, and how to share falsified visuals responsibly. It’s an interactive approach to fact-checking – by giving news consumers the skills to recognise misinformation and disinformation, this can help promote quality journalism.
Transparent vs objective reporting in the war in Ukraine
Terrell Jermaine Starr, a senior reporter at The Root, has long reported on US-Russian politics. His Twitter has shown him on the ground in Ukraine, making him a popular correspondent – especially when he reported on helping a Ukrainian family leave for Lithuania.
When he received criticism for his reporting style, which skews towards commentary, he tweeted a clarification of his style of reporting:
He went on to note that “there is plenty of traditional reporting out there about Ukraine. Find it.” For a better understanding of what is going on in Ukraine or any conflict, it’s important to curate a diverse range of media.