Ukrainska Pravda enlists top Western media managers and experts for its advisory council

The main goal of creating an advisory board with five leading media executives is to bring in external expertise and draw on the best global practices in media management.

On a regular, voluntary basis, the UP Advisory Council will provide impartial collective advice to the management of the media group Ukrainska Pravda on long-term strategies and the overall vision of development, uphold adherence to journalistic standards, and ensure absolute editorial independence.

"Full editorial independence is one of the fundamental values of Ukrainska Pravda. The Advisory Council is an advisory body that will provide practical advice to the leadership of UP on sustainable development, brand recognition globally, and overall advocacy for free journalism – without any interference in editorial policy," emphasises Sevgil Musaieva, Editor-in-Chief of Ukrainska Pravda.

The Advisory Council includes experts with impeccable reputations, an innovative vision of the media market’s potential, and a profound understanding of Ukrainska Pravda’s DNA.

The composition of UP's Advisory Council:

Alan Rusbridger (United Kingdom) – The Guardian’s former editor-in-chief, with 20 years of experience at the publication. Currently, Rusbridger edits Prospect Magazine, the most respected political magazine in the United Kingdom. He has also led Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford. A graduate of Magdalene College, Cambridge, Rusbridger is a history professor at the University of London.

An author of three books, he received a special award from the European Press Prize in 2014 and is a laureate of the Right Livelihood Award. In 2014, he was honoured with the Pulitzer Prize (jointly with The Washington Post) for the investigation into extensive surveillance of US citizens, based on information from Edward Snowden.

Mea Dols de Jong (Netherlands) – a leading Dutch documentary filmmaker, listed among the top 10 best film directors in the world by Variety. She is also recognised as one of the hundred most influential artists in the Netherlands, according to the NRC newspaper. Her debut film, "If Mama Ain't Happy, Nobody's Happy," received 27 awards at international festivals. Mea's directorial style revolves around presenting personal stories intersecting human relationships and broader political issues. Guided by realism, she portrays multidimensional characters and shares poignant stories that evoke genuine emotions.

Mea is a Nieman Foundation fellow who studied at Harvard University.

Charles M. Sennott (USA) – one of the most experienced war correspondents globally, covering conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the events of the Arab Spring in 2011. He is the founder and editor of The GroundTruth Project (2014). Sennott graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is a Harvard University fellow. He worked as a reporter for the New York Daily News and the Boston Globe, where he managed the Middle East and Europe bureau.

In 2017, he launched the local initiative of the non-profit organisation Report for America. Sennott is also a co-founder of GlobalPost, a popular international news portal. An author of three books, he holds an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree from Providence College. In 2019, he received the National Emmy Award.

Gulnoza Said (USA) – the programme coordinator for Europe and Central Asia at the Committee to Protect Journalists, a journalist and a communication expert. In addition to advocating for journalists' rights, she also covers politics, media operations, religious issues, and human rights in Central Asia and Türkiye.

Myroslava Gongadze (USA/Ukraine) – journalist, human rights advocate and public figure. A graduate of the Law Faculty at Ivan Franko National University in Lviv, Myroslava also received education at Harvard University under the Nieman Foundation programme. She was a researcher at George Washington University and received the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship from the National Endowment for Democracy.

Before she was appointed the Director of Broadcasting for Voice of America in Eastern Europe in 2021, Myroslava progressed from being a correspondent, TV host, and editor to the head of the Ukrainian Service at Voice of America. As an expert on Ukraine and the region, she has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Journal of Democracy. Since 2000, she has actively advocated for journalists' rights and freedom of speech.

Myroslava is a co-author of the scientific publication "Torn Nerve" about the protest movement in Ukraine from 2000 to 2004. In 2015, she was awarded the Order of Princess Olha III, and in 2023, she received the Inamori Ethics Prize for ethical leadership.

The Advisory Council will operate independently of the Editor-in-Chief of UP, the executive director, and the ultimate beneficial owner. The Advisory Council of UP will convene twice a year or on an emergency basis to stabilise the situation in crisis scenarios.

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