ProMedia Office Information and Press Center

In late 1996, ProMedia asked news-papers in Ukraine what their biggest needs were. One of the most common answers from papers outside of Kyiv was access to high-quality, timely news photos. Whereupon ProMedia hired and equipped Vasily Artyushenko, a respected Ukrainian photojournalist. His photographs were made available, free of charge, via e-mail to private newspapers across Ukraine.

Establishment of the ProMedia Ukraine Internet Web site�on which the photo service's current pictures and archives are available�has allowed newspapers to "window-shop" by viewing thumbnail copies of the available photos. By mid-1998, use of the service had grown to include 80 newspapers in cities large and small across Ukraine. According to results of a survey, each of those newspapers published, on average, about eight pictures a month from the photoservice.

This is but one example of the many creative programs that ProMedia�the Professional Media Program, funded by USAID and managed by IREX�has been carrying out in Ukraine from offices in Kyiv and the Crimea. Other ProMedia activities support the development of a democratic legal and regulatory framework for the media, improve the quality of journalism, promote more efficient business management, and assist in the development of independent media associations and NGOs. The ProMedia office in Kyiv has a large library, meeting rooms, computers connected to the Internet, and an extensive, searchable database of legal documents and past news articles, which Ukrainian journalists use to research stories.

Last updated:    February 1999

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