1+1 media, together with WAW and MKIP, launch a large-scale project "Plus Ukrainian"
On February 7, the 1+1 media group announced the launch of the "Plus Ukrainian" project, which will be aimed at popularizing the Ukrainian language and culture, eradicating Russian content from the media field, and forming the habit of communicating in Ukrainian both at home and in other areas of life. The project will be implemented during 2023 together with WAW: alternative media and with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Promo of the project: https://youtu.be/nmq4mprYKgo
"Back in November 2021, we planned to launch the Plus Ukrainian project in the spring of 2022 and even presented it in February 2022. However, the beginning of a full-scale war adjusted our plans, we focused on opposing the Russian Federation on the information front and directed all our efforts in this direction of work. However, the relevance of the project, which will popularize the Ukrainian language and help eradicate Russian content from our media field, has only increased. That is why we finalized the initiative, involved dozens of opinion leaders who have a colossal audience into the partnership of MKIP and WAW. In turn, 1+1 media, which is the oldest media holding in Ukraine, from the first days of its existence took a course to popularize the Ukrainian language. We continue to do this, using our platforms and attracting millions of people to the trend of "adding Ukrainian", - commented the general director of 1+1 media , Yaroslav Pakholchuk .
"Plus Ukrainian" in various formats will be implemented both on the television platforms of the holding and partners, and in the Digital segment - on the group's information resources, in social networks and on platforms. In particular, the project envisages a series of interviews on the website of the 1+1 TV channel with real people's ambassadors of the Ukrainian language - famous actors, musicians, bloggers, volunteers, military personnel and other personalities who, by their own example, encourage society to consume quality Ukrainian-language content and inspire to switch to the Ukrainian language those who, for various reasons, have not yet done so. Relevant educational content related to the need to learn the Ukrainian language for various audiences, including children, will also be created. In addition, a number of initiatives to popularize the Ukrainian language have been developed for 1+1 media employees. The group says that the experience gained can be useful for other companies that want to actualize this important issue in their teams, so 1+1 media will systematically provide information and practices to all who are interested.
Another important task that the team of the "Plus Ukrainian" project will focus on is the scaling of the Ukrainian-speaking environment in the context of social networks. After all, according to the research of the Center for Content Analysis , conducted in June 2022, the Russian language lost its dominant position in the Ukrainian segment of social networks, however, if we consider the most common platforms together, the Russian language still significantly prevails (37% of posts in Ukrainian against 63% in Russian). In addition, the project will promote Ukrainian content makers and actors who are shaping a new Ukrainian culture and destroy any myths planted by the Russian market that "Ukrainian content cannot be as popular on YouTube as Russian" and that "jokes in Ukrainian are not funny" » etc.
"Cultural expansion and linguicide, which Russia has been perpetrating against Ukraine for centuries, have terrible consequences, which we are currently systematically working with. Therefore, the emergence of such projects as "Plus Ukrainian" is an important tool in countering the narratives that the Kremlin regime continues to actively spread around the world until now, especially focusing on the Ukrainian territories that are temporarily occupied by the enemy. We have repeatedly convinced ourselves that language is our border, our security. It is no coincidence that the first steps taken by the occupiers in the captured territories were the total Russification of the population, the replacement of signs with the names of cities and streets by Russian counterparts, and the popularization of propaganda television. Therefore, our task is to defeat the enemy both on the front line and on the cultural front as well," said Oleksandr Tkachenko , Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
In addition, videos developed as part of the project by the WAW: alternative media team will be published twice on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and on television on current topics: about the linguicide that Russia has committed against Ukraine for centuries, about the cultural expansion of the Russian Federation, about how viewing or listening to Russian content helps the Russian army in this great war, etc. The purpose of such videos is to introduce the concept of "informational hygiene" when consuming content among Ukrainians and to demonstrate how the quality of everyone's life can change if they start speaking Ukrainian or improve their knowledge of the language in every way.
“The team at WAW: Alternative Media has been working to counter Russian propaganda and fake news by creating anti-disinformation content since the early days of the all-out war. We have extensive expertise in this matter, so we will be happy to apply it in the "Plus Ukrainian" project as well. Our goal is to use content to demonstrate to Ukrainians and an international audience that the Ukrainian language is by no means a "dialect of Russian", which is often emphasized by Russian propagandists. We also strive to reduce tension in the language issue in Ukrainian society, to update the image of the Ukrainian language: from "the most melodious", "nightingale" to the categories of "kindness", "light", "courage", "intemperance", "family". Ukrainian is the language of heroes, and this is the narrative we will expand," added Iryna Nikonchuk , co-founder of WAW: alternative media.
The main platforms of the project are Facebook and Instagram 1+1 media, 1+1 , WAW and MKIP , YouTube 1+1 , the project page on TikTok , TSN.ua , UNIAN , Glavred and 1+1 sites , 1+1 Marathon TV channels, 1 +1 Ukraine, TET and PLUSPLUS.
