The media outlet Slidstvo.Info has come under an online attack — this was reported on May 28, 2026, in a comment to Detector Media by the outlet’s editor-in-chief, Nastia Stanko.
The journalist noted that within 30 minutes, identical news items appeared on several websites. These materials were based on a Facebook post by blogger Mykhailo Shneider, which contained accusations against the head of Slidstvo.Info, Anna Babinets.
The post refers to a conflict of interest that had previously emerged during the evaluation of entries for the journalism award “Honor of the Profession.” It should be noted that on Monday, May 18, the contest announced the shortlist in the “Best Investigation” category, which also included two works by Slidstvo.Info. Anna Babinets was a member of the jury in this category. However, according to the rules of the competition, she did not evaluate submissions from her own newsroom.
Later, the newsroom decided to withdraw two investigations — “Vika’s Last Assignment” and “State Children” — from the previously announced shortlist in the “Best Investigation” category. Prior to that, journalist Olesia Bida of The Kyiv Independent also announced her decision to step down from the jury due to a conflict of interest.
The post by Mykhailo Shneider contains signs of a personalized online attack and reputational pressure against Anna Babinets. Although it formally concerns a conflict of interest around the “Honor of the Profession” award, the main emphasis is on discrediting the journalist through emotionally charged wording such as “cynical story,” “murky backroom deals,” “sitting on two chairs,” and “blatant disregard of all rules.” Such language constructs a negative image of the journalist, going beyond a neutral description of events.
The text also contains signs of public incitement to discredit the journalist, including claims about “irreparable reputational losses” for the contest allegedly caused by her actions. The author also uses manipulative rhetorical questions and a moralizing tone, which may trigger further online attacks and harassment.
As Nastia Stanko reported, Shneider’s Facebook post later became the basis for several publications across different online media within half an hour. All of them carried similar headlines claiming that the contest had suffered “irreparable losses” because of Anna Babinets’ actions. The reports were published by UNIAN, Glavred, and Ukrainski Novyny. Shneider was referred to as an “expert” and “political commentator.” At the same time, the Texty.org.ua database of pseudo-sociologists and hidden PR figures mentions Shneider in connection with several past political scandals involving pro-Russian politicians Yevhen Murayev, Viktor Medvedchuk, and Vadym Rabynovych.
The simultaneous spread of the post across multiple platforms may indicate a coordinated and targeted online attack aimed at discrediting not only the journalist but also the newsroom as a whole.
Anna Babinets told Women in Media that she believes the situation may be linked to a previously sparked public controversy and noted that investigative journalists are regularly targeted online due to their work exposing powerful actors. She also emphasized that reporting such attacks to law enforcement often carries limited prospects for effective investigation and may pose additional risks to newsroom safety.
“I think someone picked up on a public scandal that was previously initiated against me by journalists from The Kyiv Independent. It is unfortunate that journalists are making such convenient framing for those who are just waiting for an opportunity to question the work of investigative journalists. Personally, I do not understand who carried out this latest attack on me, because Slidstvo.Info’s investigations are painful for many officials, businesspeople, and others. But I do understand very well who started this process,” Anna Babinets said in a comment to Women in Media.
She also noted that as an investigative journalist, together with her colleagues, she regularly faces online attacks because her investigations make certain people uncomfortable. On several occasions, Babinets and her colleagues considered filing complaints with the police over such attacks. However, given the low effectiveness of investigations into crimes against journalists, they saw more risks to the safety of the newsroom and its members than chances of accountability.
“I can recall how our website was attacked when we published an investigation about obscenely wealthy church figures, as well as about a minister’s luxury apartment. We receive offensive comments and messages even more frequently. Especially in comments under our YouTube videos, people like to insult female journalists: their appearance, age, and to question their intellectual abilities,” Anna Babinets said.
One of the attacks against Anna Babinets was previously documented by Women in Media on its online map. In October 2025, the Telegram channel “Baza 111” published a post about Babinets, calling her a “foreign agent,” “grant-eater,” and “propagandist,” and accusing her of “justifying crimes of the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC), supporting or calling for the arrest of critics of the authorities, participating in the persecution of critics of the authorities, and financing and assisting the TCC.”