Resources
In the face of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Fojo has compiled a list of trusted media outlets from both countries for foreign readers.
Open letter: Strong support to Ukrainian and Russian independent journalists is support for peace and democracy
Linnaeus University’s expert list
International Journalists Network. ICJ have compiled the below list of support and resources for journalists covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:
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.
Additional resources
Alerts! International Press Institute’s media freedom alerts linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine
Global Investigative Journalism Network has compiled a list of resources for journalists covering the situation in Ukraine
NiemanLab’s list over resources for following the invasion of Ukraine is available here.
If you would like to support independent media in Ukraine and Russia, here’s where to do it
- “Association of independent regional publishers of Ukraine” (AIRPU), represent around 70 media houses in Vinnytsia, Odessa, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil and Cherson.
You can donate to them via Patreon. The funds will go directly to the journalists who work around the clock for their readers both locally and internationally.
Patreon account:
https://www.patreon.com/ukrainianmediasupport… - Platform to support independent Ukraine media:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-ukraines-media-going - Kiev Independent (https://kyivindependent.com/)
Run by journalists that have left the previously well-respected Kiev Post, then it was taken over by an oligarch. Quality journalism in English.
Subscribe here:
https://www.patreon.com/kyivindependent - Russian-speaking Meduza https://meduza.io/en.
Meduza is run by Russian journalists that left the well-respected Lenta in protest against their Chief Editor being fired. Meduza is based in Riga, but has a large network in Russia.
Subscribe or donate here:
https://support.meduza.io/en - OVD-info is an independent media project, focusing on human rights and political persecution in Russia.
They will continue to report despite being blocked by the authorities.
https://donate.ovdinfo.org - Gazeta Wyborcza Foundation
Fund initiated by Gazeta Wyborcza Foundation in support of journalists covering the war zone.
https://fundacjagazetywyborczej.pl/en/projects/ukrainian-media-fund/ - The Swedish Federation of Journalists
is fundraising to support the two Ukrainian federations of journalists and the European Federation of Journalists, EFJs, work.
Here is where to support it.
List of independent media in Ukraine and Russia
Media from Ukraine:
- https://kyivindependent.com – a specialized publication for foreigners, published originally in English by an experienced editorial team.
- https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/ – the English version of one of the most popular and respected Ukrainian media outlets.
- https://english.nv.ua – the English version of one of the biggest news outlets
Media from Russia:
- In English: https://meduza.io/en. A media outlet produced by a well-known editorial team working mostly in exile from Russia.
- In Russian: https://novayagazeta.ru. Nobel Prize-winning media outlet from Russia. In risk of being blocked in Russian by the authorities.
Standing up for free press in Ukraine and Russia
Fojo stands behind Swedish news media when they speak up for free press in Ukraine and Russia in this op-ed published on 3 March 2022. Fojo has been actively working to support free press in Ukraine and Russia for many years, and continues to tirelessly do so at this time of crisis too.
In Swedish: https://bit.ly/3ttdHv0
Fojo’s program for Better working conditions for journalists in the OSCE show their support for their Ukrainian colleagues here.