Natalia Sokolenko

Natalia graduated from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with a degree in journalism. She is an alumna of the Internews-Ukraine School of Journalism and the Ukrainian School of Political Studies. To compliment her studies, she has taken the following courses: Understanding Human Rights and Digital Journalism of the Future.

Between 2000 and 2010, Natalia worked as a reporter in news programmes, during which time she won the television award Teletriumph. Natalia decided to resign from reporting, however, in protest against censorship in the news channel STB. Observing similar degrees of censorship within other news networks, she decided to create a public Ukrainian broadcasting show, something which had been sorely lacking in Ukraine.

In August of 2012, Natalia started working with like-minded people to create a public media source independent from private owners and state media. She found the affinity for such ideas and goals among Andriy Kulykov, Oleksandr Buzyuk, and Vladimir Korsun, leading to the creation of what is now Ukraine’s top-tier public radio - Hromadske Radio. A year later, her dream had come true. Together with Andriy Kulykov, Natalia recorded her first podcast for Hromadske Radio - 'Yakscho' (If)

In the autumn of 2013 and winter of 2014 Natalia became one of the hosts of Radio Marathon Euromaidan Online and afterwards became the host and editor of the talk show Hromadske Khvylya.

Natalia remains an active member of the movement Stop Censorship!. She is interested in Ukrainian history, reading memoirs, and enjoys cycling and travelling the world.