The Program from the Journalism Development League NGO / Liga.net

Promoting the scientific approach and evidence-based medicine, in particular related to trauma, among the Ukrainian audience.

The LIGA.net - LIGA.life team strives to strengthen the voice of science and evidence-based medicine, while providing a qualitative analysis of the medical and psychological problems that Ukrainian people face. To achieve positive results, the media attracts experts to work on topics that meet the project goals, such as work with trauma (psychological), rehabilitation (after injuries and staying in hot spots), as well as integration of both displaced persons and refugees (the focus is on psychological barriers that prevent Ukrainians from adapting to a new place).  Each text is a team work, where the journalist is a co-author of a medical professional or a scientist. They will work closely with the editor to explain an important problem in an easy-to-read language.

Goal

The objective is to protect the public from the harm associated with the lack of care or incompetent aid for trauma through raising awareness of the issues related to the impact of psychological and physical trauma on overall health, and the need for a scientific approach to overcoming trauma and related conditions.  Tasks: creation and publication of materials that provide professional expert coverage of issues related to psychological and physical conditions associated with trauma during the war.

Relevance and Importance  

The project’s relevance comes from the fact that in the full-scale war, when it is challenging to have proper access to medical services, there is a surge in physical and psychological injuries. Moreover, the amount of anti-scientific information in Ukrainian media and social networks is growing.

Changes Entailed by the Project

• support to people in addressing their medical and psychological issues
• support to evidence-based doctors and scientists, in particular financial
• enhancement of editors expertise

Outcomes

During the project implementation, the team produced 5 longreads on 5 pertinent and sore topics. They also engaged and financially supported Ukrainian evidence-based doctors and scientists who promote knowledge in such a difficult time for the country.

• Will the war experience ever hurt less?
• Why do Ukrainians become collaborators?
• Will everyone have PTSD? Should we be afraid of it?
• What diseases will chase Ukrainian people because of the war?
• How has war affected children's ability to learn and how severe is the harm?

Total number of views: 1,654,013

Ukraine urgently needs as much as possible evidence-based materials because Ukrainians who have been already prone to using the unverified, often harmful, sources of information, are now incited by the war to seek help from charlatans rather than from specialists. According to the team, the balance of power between scientifically evidenced information and the anti-scientific and harmful staff is clearly not in favor for science.

Target Audience

Ukrainian men and women who stay in Ukraine or beyond and have limited access to medical and psychological care.  

In general, the project’s TA coincides with the audience of the LIGA.Life. They are proactive women (58.8%), 35-64 years old, who have critical thinking skills, and are interested in scientifically grounded information, and who make decisions about the well-being of their families, share information with their relatives and in social media.  According to the reviews received by the media editorial board, readers often share the information from the website to their family members, in particular to the older generation.

Sustainability. Scaling up. Continuity

Thanks to the project implementation, the Liga.net team continued to create a database of experts to cooperate with, and also increased the level of expertise of journalists in the field of evidence-based medicine. We managed to provide people suffering from stress, anxiety, and other psychological consequences of wartime with scientifically evidenced information.

The project is implemented by the NGO Journalism Development League/ Liga.net thanks to financial support from ZMIN, as part of the grant program 2022.

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