Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by Nimisha Jaiswal
01:41 Ihor Lachenkov | Ukrainian influencer
03:02 Khrystyna Havryliuk | Head of News

Script:

00:01
((Shots of Kyiv))
It can be tough to choose what to follow in the news, when you are the news.

Voxes

00:06
Woman 19 sec
It's definitely difficult, it takes effort, but personally I can't do anything else, because I've lost a loved one, my friends are at war. I can't do anything else. I love this country, how can I not follow what will happen to it? 

00:26
Young man 13 sec
Usually I follow news from Dnipro, because I'm from Dnipro myself, I check where there's a bombing, where something has landed. But I’m trying to avoid everything else, and I really feel much lighter emotionally. 

00:40
((Shots of people on phones, walking))
But keeping up with the war in their country over 1300 days in, is taking a toll. Some are choosing to look away. 

00:49
Woman 12 seconds
I have a lot of work right now, I just don't have time, because the flow of information is so intense that sometimes I have to deliberately turn it off or limit it.

01:01
Woman 13 seconds
I try very hard not to follow it, because I am very emotional and sometimes emotions can be very difficult. I try to limit how much I follow the news, because it affects my mental health and is just exhausting.

01:16
((Shots of person on phone, putting on Lachen’s channel, going to his photo))
Most Ukrainians are turning to quick updates on social media - polls show Telegram leads the pack, with influencers gaining the most traction.

01:26
((shots of Lachen on phone))
26-year-old Ihor Lachenkov says Ukrainians are most interested in what affects their daily lives - and geopolitics simply doesn’t. With 1.5 million followers on Telegram, he knows what works for his audience. 

01:41
SOT Ihor Lachenkov, Ukrainian influencer 23 seconds
Our biggest news story recently, which gained the most coverage and reposts, was the permission for 22-year-old men to travel abroad. News that affects people's lives does not lose any of its relevance or cause fatigue. But people have long since lost interest in endless promises and talk. 

02:04
((Shots of Lachen on phone, then screen recording of his page))
His team of three is constantly posting updates - from details of overnight strikes, to critical posts on domestic politics or even the military. They’ve developed contacts that readily give them information thanks to his massive following - and that in turn adds trust, and more followers, for his channel.

02:26
SOT Ihor Lachenkov 15 seconds
It is very easy for me to choose between topics and even find out something in advance, as I am communicating with the military,  politicians, and people in different fields. So it is very easy to identify and verify something.

02:41
((Shots of street then newsroom, Zel handshake with costs, news presenter))
But Telegram has also been criticized here for being a source of disinformation, without journalistic standards. Ukrainian newsrooms are trying to keep up, while also taking a more traditional tack - they continue to closely cover all developments, even if there is lower domestic interest.

03:00 - starts off camera
SOT Khrystyna Havryliuk, Head of News, Suspilne 18 seconds
Of course, it is not the same level of interest that there was at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and no Ukrainian media outlet has the same audience as it did at the beginning. Back then, the numbers were higher. Everyone wanted to find information that could save their lives, about evacuation, about what was happening. 

03:18
((Shots of control room, newsroom))
Major attacks on civilians still draw a surge of interest across Ukraine, as does political upheaval. But on calmer days, people are more likely to take a break from the news. 

03:30
((Shots of Krystyna talking, newsroom “stand with Ukraine” shot))
Still, Havryliuk says they must track every development - and that it is the duty of every Ukrainian to stay informed. For many who work here, covering the war is a coping mechanism. 

03:44 - starts off camera
SOT Khrystyna Havryliuk 21 seconds
“We have a newsroom full of people whose husbands are at the front, who have suffered losses in their families. Our team has already lost colleagues who were mobilised and there are dozens who continue to serve. So we are very much part of this broader context.

04:04
((Shots of streets, people on their phones))
And Ukrainians still expect it to be a long wait, before they can truly look away for good.+++