Yuliia Didenko, Editor-in-Chief of “Novyny Donbasu” media outlet and representative of the Relocated Media Cluster, has joined the second cohort of the “Media & CSO Management Program for Ukrainian Executives”, organized by Jnomics.
This year’s program theme is: “How I Lead: A Leader Who Changes Systems and Guides an Organization Toward Maturity”.
Participants have 10 weeks to work on key challenges of modern management, including:
— leadership and team management;
— organizational financial sustainability;
— marketing, development, and communications;
— implementing change within organizational processes.
The program combines workshops, case study analysis, simulations, discussions, and individual mentoring sessions with Jnomics consultants. A special focus is placed on building a professional community of media and civil society organization leaders through peer learning, exchange of experience, and follow-up alumni meetings.
Around 20 representatives of Ukrainian media organizations and civil society groups from different regions of the country are participating in the program, including participants from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lutsk, Dnipro, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Bila Tserkva.
According to Yuliia Didenko, one of the most valuable aspects of the program has been the opportunity to openly discuss management challenges, receive support from peers, and learn not only from lecturers and mentors but also from one another.
“The program is very well balanced: there are practical tools you can immediately take notes on and apply in your work, as well as lectures and workshops that provide inspiration and new insights. What was especially valuable for me was the opportunity to discuss challenges with colleagues — top managers from regional and national media outlets — to share concerns and openly reflect on difficult and often ambiguous processes,” she says.
The participant particularly highlighted the offline module and the informal discussion format.
“I especially enjoyed the failure night — a conversation somewhere between tragedy and stand-up comedy, where we honestly shared our failures and mistakes and analyzed them in depth. And special thanks to the organizers for the mindfulness practices — helping us keep our heads clear and stay sane,” Didenko adds.
The program runs from May 26 to August 2, 2026, with support from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) project “Boosting Citizens Watchdogs in Ukraine,”funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
The Relocated Media Cluster is a project of the NGO “DII-Ukraine”, launched in January 2025 to unite efforts, preserve audiences in occupied territories, and jointly attract donor funding for editorial teams forced to relocate from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
The Cluster currently brings together 15 editorial teams from affected regions, including “Novyny Donbasu”, “0629.com.ua” (Mariupol), “Tribun”, “RIA-Pivden”, and “Vilne Radio”.
