Personal Factors Shaping Journalists’ Professionalism in Today’s Military Journalism

Authors

  • Valentyna Stiekolshchykova PhD in Social Communications, Associate Professor, The Head of the Department of Journalism and Philology, Pylyp Orlyk International Classical University, Mykolaiv, Ukraine
  • Anna Ziniuk Ph.D. in Sociology, Аssociate Professor of the Department of Applied Sociology and Social Communications, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
  • Olena Melnykova-Kurhanova PhD in Social Communications, Associate Professor of Journalism Chair, State University "Kyiv Aviation Institute", Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Alla Yarova Candidate of Philological Sciences, Аssociate Professor of the Department of Journalism and Philology, Sumy State University, Sumy, Ukraine
  • Dmytro Lobanov Ph.D. Student of the Department of Applied Sociology and Social Communications, School of Sociology, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
  • Iryna Soldatenko PhD in Sociology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Sociology and Social Communications, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/17.2/998

Keywords:

Affective proximity, objectivity, balance, personality-driven skills, virtual reality in media, online warfare, a model for enhancing journalists’ professionalism, resilience, emotional intelligence

Abstract

This article introduces the concept of today’s military journalism, drawing on the experiences of journalists operating in hybrid warfare contexts. It explores character-skill challenges that were absent in earlier, pre-digital wars. The article pursues a threefold aim: to review and analyze existing practices, identify emerging key concepts and challenges, and develop a framework for optimizing and enhancing the personal factors shaping professional skills of media professionals in today’s hybrid-information military journalism. The research employs interdisciplinary methods, including theoretical approaches (systematic reviews, definitional and generalization methods) and practical techniques (content analysis, socio-communicative modelling, and educational simulations). The article’s primary contribution is a new educational model for training and retraining journalists in the context of today’s military journalism. This model addresses the complexities of distinguishing between fake and factual, objective and subjective, and ethical and unethical phenomena. Theoretical insights provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolving mass-communicative landscape, where journalists act as versatile yet dependent players alongside bloggers, military personnel, politicians, and media consumers. Finally, the article offers classifications and generalizations related to emerging principles, standards, dilemmas, and challenges in today’s military journalism.

References

Adegbola, O., & Zhang, W. (2022). Examining determinants of adherence to peace journalism: Empathy, reporting efficacy, and perceived journalistic roles. Media, War & Conflict, 15(3), 280–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750635220948548

Akopian, K. A. (2023). Mediaetyka voiennoho chasu: viiskova zhurnalistyka v ukrainsko-rosiiskii viini [Media ethics in wartime: Military journalism in Russia’s war against Ukraine]. In K. A. Akopian, N. V. Bukina, O. I. Hotsur, O. V. Zhuravska, O. A. Rosinska, I. I. Kalina, Y. O. Yeremenko, L. A. Putkalets, G. B. Vyshnevska, V. Y. Sikorska, A. V. Kozhanov, O. P. Shypotilova, V. A. Stiekolshchykova, V. I. Shulgina, N. V. Zhukovska, & Y. E. Finkler (Eds.), Functioning of the Ukrainian Media during Martial Law in Ukraine: A Scientific Monograph (pp. 5–18). https://doi.org/10.30525/978-9934-26-270-8-1

Boretskyi, V., Chornodon, M., Rodyhin, K., Yermakova, I., & Rudchenko, A. (2020). Personal determinants of social competence of future journalists. International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research, 9(4), 217–220. http://www.ijstr.org/final-print/apr2020/Personal-Determinants-Of-Social-Competence-Of-Future-Journalists.pdf

Buchanan, M., & Keats, P. (2011). Coping with traumatic stress in journalism: A critical ethnographic study. International Journal of Psychology, 46(2), 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2010.532799

Buromenskyi, M., Shturkhetskyi, S., Bilz, E., Betts, M., Shiupp, K., & Kazanzhy, Z. (2016). Zhurnalistyka v umovakh konfliktu: peredovyi dosvid ta rekomendatsii [Journalism in conflict settings: best practices and recommendations]. VAITE Company. https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/9/3/254531.pdf

Cassese, A. (1984). The Geneva Protocols of 1977 on the Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflict and Customary International Law. Pacific Basin Law Journal, 3(1-2), 55–118.

https://doi.org/10.5070/P831-2021915

Cooper, G., & Mutsvairo, B. (2021). Citizen journalism: Is Bellingcat revolutionising conflict journalism? In K. S. Orgeret (ed.), Insights on Peace and Conflict Reporting (1st ed.) (pp. 106–120). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003015628-8/citizen-journalism-glenda-cooper-bruce-mutsvairo

Feinstein, A. (2006). Journalists under fire: The psychological hazards of covering war. JHU Press.

Feinstein, A., Owen, J., & Blair, N. (2002). A hazardous profession: war, journalists, and psychopathology. The American journal of psychiatry, 159(9), 1570–1575. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.159.9.1570

Hamada, B. I. (2022). Determinants of journalists’ autonomy and safety: Evidence from the worlds of journalism study. Journalism Practice, 16(8), 1715–1735. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1871861

Heffer, T., & Willoughby, T. (2017). A count of coping strategies: A longitudinal study investigating an alternative method to understanding coping and adjustment. PloS One, 12(10), Article e0186057. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186057

Hoffman, F. G. (2007). Conflict in the 21st century: The rise of hybrid wars. Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. https://www.potomacinstitute.org/images/stories/publications/potomac_hybridwar_0108.pdf

Hou, J. (2020). Public space as a space of resistance and democratic resilience. In V. Mehta, & D. Palazzo (Eds.), Companion to Public Space (pp. 335–345). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351002189-26/public-space-space-resistance-democratic-resilience-jeffrey-hou

Howard, P., Lin, F., & Tuzov, V. (2023). Computational propaganda: Concepts, methods, and challenges. Communication and the Public, 8(2), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/20570473231185996

Hurzhyi, N., Kravchenko, A., Kulinich, T., Saienko, V., Chopko, N., & Skomorovskyi, A. (2022). Enterprise development strategies in a post-industrial society. Postmodern Openings, 13(1Sup1), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.18662/po/13.1Sup1/420

Ibrahim, F., Pawanteh, L., Kee, C. P., Hassan Basri, F. K., Abu Hassan, B. R., & Wan Mahmud, W. A. (2011). Journalists and news sources: Implications of professionalism in war reporting. Innovation Journal, 16(3), Article 4. https://innovation.cc/wp-content/uploads/2011_16_3_4_faridah_ibrahim_war-news.pdf

Konieczny, M. K. (2020). Two models of journalism – in conditions of military operations and police activities. Scientific Journal of the Military University of Land Forces, 52(2(196)), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0014.2533

Lokman, A. A., Mohd Nor, M. R., & Abdul Hamid, F. @ A. F. (2023). New media and Arab-Israeli Conflict: Dynamics, impact and challenges. Al-Muqaddimah: Online Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 10(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.22452/muqaddimah.vol10no2.1

Nohrstedt, S. A., & Ottosen, R. (2014). New wars, new media and new war journalism: Professional and legal challenges in conflict reporting. Nordicom. https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/publications/new-wars-new-media-and-new-war-journalism

Pedelty, M. (2020). War stories: The culture of foreign correspondents. Routledge.

Redchuk, R., Doroshenko, T., Havryliuk, N., Medynskii, S., Soichuk, R., Petrenkо O., Pavelkiv, R., Rybalko, P., Maliar, N., Maliar, E., Chornodon, M., & Boretskyi, V. (2020). Developing the competency of future physical education specialists in professional interaction in the field of social communications. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 12(4), 289–309. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/12.4/346

Slavtcheva-Petkova, V., Ramaprasad, Jy., Springer, N., Hughes, S., Hanitzsch, T., Hamada, B., Hoxha, A. & Steindl, N. (2023). Conceptualizing journalists’ safety around the globe. Digital Journalism, 11(7), 1211–1229. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2022.2162429

Tvardovska, A. (2024). Robota konverhentnoho niuzrumu pid chas vysvitlennia rosiisko-ukrainskoi viiny [The operation of a convergent newsroom in covering Russia’s war against Ukraine] [Master’s thesis]. National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. https://ekmair.ukma.edu.ua/handle/123456789/30077

Urbániková, M., & Haniková, L. (2022). Coping with the murder: The impact of Ján Kuciak’s assassination on Slovak investigative journalists. Journalism Practice, 16, 1927–1947. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1877179

Weaver, D. H., & Willnat, L. (Eds.). (2012). The global journalist in the 21st century. Routledge.

Woolley, S. C., & Howard, P. N. (Eds.). (2018). Computational propaganda: Political parties, politicians, and political manipulation on social media. Oxford University Press.

Yontucu, H., Husnu, S., & Ersoy, M. (2022). The role of social psychological processes in journalist’s war and peace journalism attitudes. International Communication Gazette, 84(5), 443–463. https://doi.org/10.1177/17480485221074840

Downloads

Published

2025-06-17

How to Cite

Stiekolshchykova, V., Ziniuk, A., Melnykova-Kurhanova, O., Yarova, A., Lobanov, D., & Soldatenko, I. (2025). Personal Factors Shaping Journalists’ Professionalism in Today’s Military Journalism. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 17(2), 629-651. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/17.2/998

Issue

Section

Continuous Education and Upskilling for Career Advancement