Olena Prytula
Encyclopedia
Olena Prytula (born March 10, 1967) is a Ukrainian
journalist
, the editor-in-chief, owner (and earlier co-founder) of the Ukrayinska Pravda
, an influential online newspaper
that focuses on news and political coverage in Ukraine
.
and educated as an engineer in Electroacoustics and Ultrasound at Odessa
Polytechnic Institute. Influenced by the dramatic social changes in the Soviet Union
, Prytula quit her engineering career and became an independent journalist. She began her journalism career as a correspondent of UNIAR news agency, later working as a stringer
for Reuters
in Crimea
, correspondent for Interfax-Ukraine
news agency in Kiev
and Crimea.
. The murder of the site's co-founder, journalist Georgiy R. Gongadze
, who had openly protested against growing government censorship, has focused attention on freedom of speech issues in Ukraine.
Prytula is sometimes alluded to have been a mistress
of married Gongadze. She was the very same "friend" of Gongadze whose apartment he left just before he was last seen alive.
, where she was a Lyle and Corrine Nelson International Journalism Fellow, studying Internet-based communications and new media
technologies.
Soon after her return, Ukraine witnessed the Orange Revolution
during which Prytula's site played a pivotal role in providing timely information to the public in an atmosphere of upheaval and press restrictions.
In 2000s Olena Prytula complemented Ukrayinska Pravda with news sites dedicated to economy, lifestyle, local news and tabloid, creating an integrated Internet-media group.
Russian
-speaking Prytula insists that her news sites' home pages should remain in Ukrainian language
, although translated Russian version is also provided.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, the editor-in-chief, owner (and earlier co-founder) of the Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda is a popular Ukrainian internet newspaper, founded by Georgiy R. Gongadze in April, 2000...
, an influential online newspaper
Online newspaper
An online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical....
that focuses on news and political coverage in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Early life
Prytula was born in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and educated as an engineer in Electroacoustics and Ultrasound at Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
Polytechnic Institute. Influenced by the dramatic social changes in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Prytula quit her engineering career and became an independent journalist. She began her journalism career as a correspondent of UNIAR news agency, later working as a stringer
Stringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
for Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, correspondent for Interfax-Ukraine
Interfax-Ukraine
The Interfax-Ukraine News Agency is a Kiev-based Ukrainian news agency founded in 1992, the company belonging to the international group Interfax Information Services. The company publishes in Ukrainian, Russian and English....
news agency in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Crimea.
Ukrayinska Pravda and Gongadze
In 2000, Prytula began work as one of the founders of Ukrayinska PravdaUkrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda is a popular Ukrainian internet newspaper, founded by Georgiy R. Gongadze in April, 2000...
. The murder of the site's co-founder, journalist Georgiy R. Gongadze
Georgiy R. Gongadze
Georgiy Ruslanovich Gongadze was a Ukrainian journalist of Georgian origin who was kidnapped and murdered in 2000.The circumstances of his death became a national scandal and a focus for protests against the government of the then President, Leonid Kuchma...
, who had openly protested against growing government censorship, has focused attention on freedom of speech issues in Ukraine.
Prytula is sometimes alluded to have been a mistress
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
of married Gongadze. She was the very same "friend" of Gongadze whose apartment he left just before he was last seen alive.
Recent career
Prytula returned to Ukraine in 2004 after her fellowship year at StanfordStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where she was a Lyle and Corrine Nelson International Journalism Fellow, studying Internet-based communications and new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
technologies.
Soon after her return, Ukraine witnessed the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
during which Prytula's site played a pivotal role in providing timely information to the public in an atmosphere of upheaval and press restrictions.
In 2000s Olena Prytula complemented Ukrayinska Pravda with news sites dedicated to economy, lifestyle, local news and tabloid, creating an integrated Internet-media group.
Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
-speaking Prytula insists that her news sites' home pages should remain in Ukrainian language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
, although translated Russian version is also provided.
External links
- Prytula page at Mother Jones
- A CV at UNESCO portal Gongadge case. The Final dot? Article in Ukrainian Antenna newspaper