How does life as a journalist change when your own country becomes a war zone? Even as Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, came under heavy shelling, the national public broadcaster Suspilne stayed on air, operating in a makeshift bunker studio. 5 years ago, NHK had helped with the opening of Suspilne as a fellow PSM, so this time we were given permission to conduct interviews inside the organisation over a long period. What they reveal is the reality of Russian propaganda and a media outlet’s struggle to remain independent of state power in wartime. We follow Suspilne’s reporters on the ground as they strive to bear witness to the horrors of war and keep the public informed while their own families and friends are in danger. How do they maintain journalistic objectivity when the mindless death and destruction of war is right on their own doorstep? Uppermost in our minds during this coverage was Japan’s own history during WW II, when the failure of the Japanese media, including NHK, to report the war situation correctly contributed to making the damage worse. As a fellow PSM, we wanted to learn more about the broadcaster’s role in wartime and what issues it must face. Shooting by a crew (director, camera operator, local coordinator, producer) began in late March 2022 and continued for 3 months.
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