The Public Interest Journalism Lab researches, develops, and promotes the most effective forms of public interest journalism in the digital age. Its main areas of work include high-quality research, the development of media strategies, the production of documentary films and multimedia journalistic content, as well as the delivery of training programmes.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Lab’s team has been actively covering events in the country for Ukrainian and international media, documenting war crimes through the Witnessing the War project, and maintaining an online chronicle of Ukrainian resistance through the Life of War project.
The Lab was founded in 2020 by journalists Nataliya Gumenyuk and Angelina Kariakina, together with civic activists and communications specialists Tata Peklun and Inna Nelles. Its first research project focused on developing editorial and communications strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From 2022 to 2024, the online media outlet NikVesti received financial support from the Lab.
In 2026, the Public Interest Journalism Lab also supported the NikVesti editorial team.