Nataliya Gumenyuk: a person speaks to be heard and understood, and it’s our job to share their message with the world

Renowned Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk, co-founder and CEO of the Public Interest Journalism Lab and Hromadske International, has spent over two decades unraveling the intricate threads of Ukraine's political landscape. With a commitment to truth and democracy, Gumenyuk's work has earned her international acclaim at major media outlets such as The Guardian and BBC.

Before starting her career, Nataliya studied at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in Ukraine. However, due to its post-Soviet approach, she wasn't entirely satisfied with the education there. Therefore, she decided to try her hand at Swedish education.

“Getting an international internship or education at a renowned media institution does not guarantee professional success.”

She approached life with an open mind and was constantly keen to discover new things. She was fortunate enough to get the chance to study abroad, and during her educational journey, she interacted with people from diverse international communities. However, getting an international internship or education in a renowned media institution does not necessarily ensure professional success.

At the beginning of her journey, she was the youngest person among her colleagues. She began working at the age of 19, which is common for individuals from some Eastern European countries or The Commonwealth of Independent States due to their educational system and other life factors.

According to Nataliya, she didn't encounter any major challenges in the international journalistic environment. In fact, she even noticed that international media generally have a more relaxed approach: she rarely had to rewrite anything, which earned her colleagues respect for her work style.

“A lot of international colleagues were just sitting in their rooms while I was traveling around a lot, even to conflict places.”

Nataliya proposes advice for those aspiring to work in political investigative journalism. As a journalist, having a genuine interest in people is crucial, organizing your networking well, and being open to travel opportunities as you never know what challenges you may face on your journey. Gumenyuk also mentioned that a lot of international colleagues were just sitting in their rooms, while she was traveling around a lot even to conflict places.

“Sometimes, a passing comment from someone can spark an idea that becomes journalistic material.”

Nataliya Gumenyuk is deeply fascinated by people and their stories. She enjoys discovering interesting individuals sharing their stories with the world and the citizens of Ukraine. When asked about her process for finding interview characters, selecting topics, and determining the format of her content, she emphasized the importance of discovery. Sometimes, a passing comment from someone can spark an idea that becomes journalistic material. As for the format, Nataliya believes it depends on the content itself and how best to present it to the audience.

“A person speaks to be heard and understood, and it's our job to share their message with the world.” 

Nataliya believes that if someone shares something with her, they want to be heard. Therefore, her duty as a journalist is to share their story with the world. She is genuinely interested in people's stories and prefers meaningful ones with a clear message.

Gumenyuk has written numerous articles for world-famous media outlets, which can be found all over the internet. She mentions that many journalists from various international media outlets come to Ukraine to conduct research and document what is happening to bring attention to the masses. On the other hand, she adds that it is unclear why some international journalists visit Ukraine. Some seem to come just to be there as a fact or to photograph the shooting.

“A good journalist must be able to answer the questions of why and what they are covering in their material.” 

What makes a good journalist? According to Nataliya, a good journalist must be able to answer the questions of why and what they are covering in their material. As journalists, we should all be able to answer these questions in a timely manner confidently.

Rozhovor s novinářkou je v příloze.