Before studying photojournalism and documentary photography in Hanover and Aarhus, she completed a degree in International Development at the University of Vienna and studied photography in Yogyakarta. She critically examines stereotypical and racist forms of representation in visual media and focuses on collaborative methods in photography. She has been working at the ipsum association since 2011, where she is involved in method development, project management and workshop leadership on topics such as media literacy and visual media.

You can also find out more about Helena on Instagram from Wednesday, February 21, 2024. She will take over the laif account for a week and report on her work.

laif at Instagram

I’ve been in Kyiv since the 6th of February, on assignment for the Austrian newspaper Der Standard and the Swiss newspaper WOZ, but also in conversation with other media I regularly work for. The last few times these have included Die Zeit, SZ Magazin and FAZ. Most appointments are made on site. In addition to the assignments, I also research my own projects.

This is the fourth time I’ve been there since the war began. However, the last time was a year ago and I am curious to see what has changed since then. I am particularly interested in the developments in the political situation, as well as the support and mood of the population, for example with regard to mobilization, Zelenskyi’s policies or the dwindling international attention due to the situation in Gaza and Israel.

In contrast to this relatively large and general level, I am attracted by the small stories that show very individual perspectives on the events and, apart from the classic heroic narratives, also paint a critical and non-romanticized picture of the war.

My overall impression as a media professional in conflict regions is very ambivalent. Wars are always influenced by a lot of propaganda on all sides and the production of images plays a decisive role in this. So we have to be all the more vigilant and always be aware of our position so that our own work is not so easily instrumentalized.

Unfortunately, I only know Ukraine in a state of war and therefore have no personal experience of what the country and its people were like in peacetime. However, I hope that I will soon be able to get to know Ukraine from this side – in peace.

Today there are more ways to manipulate, especially through deep fakes, AI images, etc. and more platforms to spread them than before, but propaganda and misinformation – especially in wars – are not new phenomena.

I try to take a closer look at images and videos in particular, look at/listen to as many perspectives as possible and check sources. Of course, this makes research time-consuming, but that’s part of the job. I also think it’s important to maintain the same critical approach to very morally charged and emotional topics as you do to less intimate stories.

I think it’s important to exchange ideas with colleagues in order to assess situations together and always be aware of the position and context from which you are speaking. Fact checks by other people in the editorial teams are also desirable, of course.

I have been active in the ipsum association since 2011, where I work in the areas of method development, project management and workshop management. What all ipsum projects have in common is a focus on self-expression, changing perspectives and dialog, through and via photography and other media.

My focus is on media literacy or media competence. This is about people learning how to use media consciously. I concentrate particularly on visual media, also in combination with text.

Our everyday life is characterized by images in all its facets. Nevertheless, the use of these media is rarely discussed or even taught at school. The extremely rapid development of artificial intelligence and the increasing importance of the many social media (instagram, tiktok, telegram,…), which are very image-based, confirm the importance of children and young people in particular learning how to deal critically with visual media and the news world. This is not just about fake news, but also about issues such as racism, homophobia, body image, class, etc.

In my experience, young people only need an impulse, a space to talk about the effects, dangers and opportunities of images and the rest happens all by itself. They are usually curious and want to engage with these topics and take pictures themselves. I have the impression that the younger generations who have grown up with social media have a more conscious approach to it than their parents.

In my opinion, education is the key to creating open-minded, critical, new media creators, but also reflective consumers.

reportages by Helena