THE WHY Foundation has launched a new project to provide reliable, fact-based information to Russian speakers. The organization will release 50 carefully chosen documentaries, dubbed in Russian, on its YouTube channel over the next few months. The films cover topics directly affecting Russian-speaking citizens, such as corruption, war, children’s and women’s rights, LGBTQ+ issues, and slavery. In addition to being available on YouTube, the documentaries will also be donated to independent broadcasters in neighbouring countries like Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Mongolia.
According to THE WHY’s CEO, Mette Hoffmann Meyer, it is crucial to provide reliable information to the Russian-speaking community at this time. «Human-focused documentaries have the power to initiate dialogue and evoke an emotional response from viewers – especially if they can watch them in their native language», says Hoffmann Meyer. «They have the power to educate and inform people on issues they never knew existed.»
Russians are among the most active social media users in Europe, spending almost two and a half hours per day on YouTube, according to a 2021 survey. Despite media crackdowns, YouTube has a penetration rate of over 80 percent in the country.
Starting on March 1st, THE WHY will launch five documentaries on its main YouTube channel. The first set of films will cover topics like democracy, diversity, and corruption, and includes award-winning documentaries such as Putin’s Kiss, Albino Boy in Africa, Leaving the Cult, Please Vote For Me, and My Afghanistan.
