Independent journalists and media outlets are playing a critical role in documenting the many developments around the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They are doing so at great risk to their own safety, and amid significant levels of mis- and disinformation coming out of Russia.
Russia’s aggression has placed journalists reporting on the ground from Ukraine in harm’s way. Meanwhile, inside Russia the Putin administration is stifling independent voices.
Fortunately, organizations around the world are stepping up to support journalists carrying out their reporting on the invasion. Below is a list of organizations providing support for journalists on the ground, as well as reporting guides and ways in which our readers can support independent media and reporters on the ground.
Emergency assistance
- The Media Development Foundation has launched a Coordination Center to provide support for journalists and media organizations. People interested in helping out can visit the website to assist in a variety of ways, including sharing relevant local information, providing shelter to journalists, providing needed equipment such as first aid kits, bulletproof vests and more. Additional information and relevant forms (in Ukrainian) can be found here.
- The Media Freedom Rapid Response is a Europe-wide rapid response program providing emergency assistance for journalists impacted by the war in Ukraine. Contact information can be found here.
- Journalists can apply for support from the European Endowment for Democracy by following this link.
- The Rory Peck Trust is offering grants to freelancers to support costs for temporary relocation, temporary accommodation, and safety kits such as flak jackets and helmets through its Crisis Fund. The Trust is also collecting contact information for providers of safety kits, which they will in turn share with freelancers.
- For journalists leaving Ukraine for Poland: the Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation), together with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) will help you arrange housing and find a job. Contact information can be found in this tweet.
- Germany’s Katapult Magazine is offering editorial offices and equipment for Ukrainian journalists. Learn more here.
- Free Press Unlimited is offering emergency and legal support for journalists, through its Reporters Respond initiative. More information is available in English and Russian. You can apply here.
- German media NGO n-ost, together with FragDenStaat.de, Netzwerk Recherche, Reporters Without Borders and Taz Panter Stiftung, are raising funds to supply journalists in Ukraine with equipment and support. Learn more and donate by following this link.
- The International Federation of Journalists, and the European Federation of Journalists have created a dedicated Ukraine Safety Fund to support journalists reporting on the frontlines in need of first aid kits, flak jackets, helmets, medical supplies and more. You can donate here.
Independent media support and content delivery
- The Kyiv Independent has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help them continue reporting from Ukraine. Follow this link to contribute.
- Together with The Fix, Are We Europe, the Media Development Foundation, and others, the Kyiv Independent is running a crowdfunding campaign to support independent media in Ukraine. Here's more information and how to donate.
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has announced that it will launch the Lviv Press Freedom Center in Lviv, Ukraine. Here's more information.
- Follow and amplify credible sources of information. Here are some lists compiled on Twitter:
- List of reliable journalists, fact checkers and more, compiled by ICFJ Senior Program Director Cristina Tardáguila
- List of women journalists covering the war, compiled by the Center for Women in Journalism
- List of journalists, from CNN reporter Daniel Dale
- Connect English-speaking Ukrainians with media outlets around the world using UABRAVE, a tool providing access to over 80 witnesses of the war's developments from all parts of Ukraine.
- Shortwaves for Freedom is a grassroots crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise funds to support the delivery of Russian, Ukrainian and English-language content produced by Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) to people inside Russia, Ukraine and surrounding countries. It does so using short and medium wave radio that evades censorship and internet shutdowns. Learn more here.
Monitoring press freedom crackdowns
- The International Press Institute (IPI) is tracking the intensified crackdown on independent media in Russia, publishing a report on the censorship and arrests of journalists taking place in the country.
- Together with its partners at the Media Freedom Rapid Response and the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, IPI is further documenting attacks on journalists in Ukraine and Russia, in connection with the invasion.
Reporting resources
Tips for covering the invasion
- Tips for reporting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, from IJNet
- Tools and resources for journalists covering the Ukrainian war, from Journalism.co.uk
- Some resources for following the invasion of Ukraine, from Nieman Lab
- Essential Steps for Journalists in Emergency Situations, from GIJN
- Investigating Russia Around the World: A GIJN Instant Toolkit, from GIJN
Combating mis- and disinformation
- Documenting and Debunking Dubious Footage from Ukraine’s Frontlines, from Bellingcat
- Digging Into the Disinformation Campaign Behind Russia’s War on Ukraine, from GIJN
- Global Conflict Monitor, built by Brazilian data news site Nucleo, tracks over 150 trusted sources covering the war in Ukraine. It allows for simple, quick discovery of content from vetted sources.
- #UkraineFacts, from signatories of the International Fact-Checking Network, is a database of disinformation related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Digital and physical safety
- Media Safety Advisory for journalists, from the International Federation of Journalists
- Freelance journalist safety principles, from ACOS Alliance, also available in Ukrainian, and in Russian from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma
- Insurance for freelance journalists and local media, from ACOS Alliance
- Tips to help journalists protect themselves online, from IJNet
- Safety guide for journalists, from UNESCO
From the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):
- Physical Safety: War Reporting guide, also available in Ukrainian and Russian
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Digital Safety: Internet shutdowns
- Physical and Digital Safety: Arrest and detention
- Basic preparedness: Risk assessment information. The template is also available in Russian.
- Physical and digital safety: Civil disorder, also available in Ukrainian and Russian
Refugee reporting
- Reporting on refugee communities toolkit, from IJNet
- Reporting on Refugees Guidelines by and for journalists, from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Mental health
- Mental health and journalism toolkit, from IJNet
- Guide for editors and news managers working with freelancers exposed to trauma, from the Dart Center
- Tips to care for your mental health while reporting on Ukraine from afar, from the Reuters Institute
Ethical reporting
- In light of incidents of implicit and explicit bias in coverage of the Russian invasion, the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) has called on journalists and news organizations to be mindful of the language they use when reporting on the war. Here is a link to the full statement.
If you know of any additional resources for journalists covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine, please contact us at dmaas@icfj.org or jrhoades@icfj.org. We will be updating this list.
Photo by Tina Hartung on Unsplash.
This article was updated on March 17, 2022.
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