Seven lessons learned for media resilience during long-term war

These lessons are based on research conducted by a cross-functional team of experts from media, government, civil society and academia, drawing directly on Ukraine’s real-world experience of operating under conditions of full-scale war. This project was made possible thanks to IMS (International Media Support) as part of the REACH programme.  

Rather than documenting isolated success stories, the lessons identify recurring patterns, shared challenges and mechanisms that can inform preparedness and response strategies beyond the Ukrainian context. They are intended to support media ecosystems and institutions in converting crisis experience into actionable frameworks for resilience before during, and after major disruptions. 

Today, as Europe – and Denmark in particular – faces profound challenges of aggression, Maria Frey, a board member of the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne Ukraine, shares key takeaways for media managers on how to prepare their teams for resilience during war. 

Lesson 1: Time is the most critical resource and it is always scarce

Ukraine entered the full-scale invasion without time to prepare. Many European countries still have it. The most important lesson is that crisis preparedness cannot begin after the first missiles. Scenario planning, reserve infrastructure, ethical guidelines, safety protocols and coordination mechanisms must be developed before aggression starts. In Ukraine, the lack of time meant that many decisions had to be taken simultaneously with evacuation, shelling and loss of control over territories. 

Lesson learned: 
Preparedness is not paranoia. It is a form of responsible governance. Time saved before a crisis directly translates into lives, trust and institutional continuity during it. 

Lesson 2: People are not “resources” – they are the system

No technology, platform or legal framework works if people collapse. The Ukrainian experience shows that human resilience determines institutional resilience. Journalists worked under shelling, lived in offices for weeks, evacuated children in the morning and went live in the evening. Over time, adrenaline disappears and exhaustion remains. Responsible leadership during a long war means: 

• prioritising physical and psychological safety. 

• recognising trauma, burnout and fear as normal reactions. 

• designing rotation, rest and recovery as mandatory systems, not optional benefits. 

Lesson learned: 
Long wars are won not by heroic overperformance, but by leadership that protects people enough to let them continue working tomorrow. 

Lesson 3: Leadership must be ethical, visible and personally accountable

In extreme conditions, leadership cannot be abstract or delegated away. Ukrainian media leaders learned that during crises: 

• teams look for clear moral and practical guidance, not perfect decisions. 

• leaders must be present, communicate honestly and sometimes “work with their own hands”. 

• ethical uncertainty is inevitable, but silence or avoidance destroys trust faster than mistakes. 

Lesson learned: 
In a long war, trust in leadership becomes an operational necessity. Without it, no policy, protocol or strategy survives stress. 

Lesson 4: Information infrastructure is a military target

During the full-scale invasion, media infrastructure was deliberately destroyed: towers bombed, studios looted, servers attacked, journalists killed or kidnapped. This confirmed a crucial reality: media are not observers of war – they are part of the battlefield. Resilience required: 

• decentralised production and broadcasting. 

• backup studios, power and connectivity. 

• alternative platforms (radio, SMS, satellite, offline delivery). 

• readiness to lose buildings overnight and continue operating. 

Lesson learned: 
If media infrastructure is not designed to survive physical destruction, the information space collapses precisely when society needs it most. 

Lesson 5: Solidarity between stakeholders saves the information space

One of Ukraine’s key strengths was the ability of competing media outlets to cooperate horizontally, including with institutions that regulate or critically oversee their work. Shared offices, generators, equipment, content and human support allowed smaller and regional media to survive. This cooperation worked because relationships and trust existed before the crisis, not because they were improvised during it. 

Lesson learned: 
During long-term crises, competition without solidarity and shared responsibility undermines the resilience of the entire media ecosystem. Pre-agreed frameworks for cooperation are as critical as editorial independence. 

Lesson 6: Freedom of expression must be defended even under security pressure

War creates constant tension between security and freedom. The Ukrainian case shows how easily emergency measures can become long-term restrictions. Collective action by journalists, media organisations, NGOs and international partners proved crucial to: 

• prevent excessive censorship. 

• challenge unjustified limitations. 

• preserve access to information and accountability. 

Lesson learned: 
If freedom of speech is sacrificed “temporarily” without safeguards, it rarely returns in full after the war. 

Lesson 7: Recovery begins before the war end

Ukraine learned that post-crisis thinking must start during the crisis itself. This includes: 

• documenting war crimes and preserving evidence. 

• preparing ethical standards for memory, trauma and loss. 

• rebuilding education and professional pipelines. 

• rethinking business models and financial sustainability. 

• reintegrating journalists, students and professionals returning from the battlefield, occupation or exile. 

Lesson learned: 

Resilience is not only about survival. It is about the ability to recover, tell the truth about the past and rebuild institutions that society can trust in the future. 

Final reflection 

Russia’s war against Ukraine has already lasted longer than World War II. This reality forces media to think not in weeks or months, but in years and generations. The Ukrainian experience shows that resilience is not a single decision or reform. It is a continuous process rooted in people, ethics, solidarity and responsibility. For Europe, the key lesson is simple and urgent: “You still have time. Use it”. 

ABOUT SUSPILNE:

Suspilne is the only national broadcaster covering over 97 percent of Ukraine’s territory, operating 24 regional TV channels, three radio stations and multiple digital platforms. The team includes more than 1,200 professionals: journalists, editors and technical staff. Content includes: news, analysis, documentaries, investigations, coverage of war crimes, cultural programmes, and sports. In 2024, Suspilne Novyny attracted over 4.6 million unique users on its digital platforms.  

IMS has provided system support to Suspilne since 2022.

More information about the expert exchange programmes by IMS can be found via the links below. This project was made possible with funding from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is implemented by IMS under the MERIT Forum initiative within the REACH programme. 

FURTHER READING:

Merit Forum 2025 | IMS 

MERIT Forum exchange on media resilience | IMS 

Calling Ukrainian media experts – applications open for MERIT FORUM 2026 

We invite you to learn more about journalism in Ukraine in the news article on the emotional state of media professionals, as well as in the news piece on investigative journalism.   

Read also about the global challenges of journalism in the key points shared by Jesper Højberg, Executive Director of IMS.