Ukraine continues its fight for independence, and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine by the support of international partners helps Ukrainian journalists in this difficult time.
Last month we worked on our main goals and achieved positive results. We created the Media Support Fund, received 100 protective kits, and launched two new Journalists’ Solidarity Centers.
You will find the most essential information in this digest. Remember to support Ukrainian journalists as they are fighting for the truth.
Protection, partnership, help. Supporting Ukrainian Journalists
The President of the European Federation of Journalists Maja Sever had an online meeting with the representatives of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers network, and Ukrainian Media Support Fund. Maja Sever emphasized that she understands the problems Ukraine is facing now as she represents the country with the similar issues (Croatia). The General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists Ricardo Gutiérrez also attended the meeting and highlighted that EFJ has been actively supporting Ukrainian Journalists since the full-scale war started. The support includes political, financial sides as well as trainings for the journalists.
Safety of Journalists
37 journalists and mass media employees have been killed since the full-scale Russian invasion started in Ukraine. Among the deceased there were 8 journalists on a mission, 12 mass media employees not on a mission as well as 17 mobilised journalists. The National Union of the Journalists of Ukraine provided the list of the journalists who died with the detailed information about each of them.
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UNESCO and the International Federation of Journalists provided 100 protection kits (helmets and bulletproof vests) for Ukrainian journalists. The first 5 kits were given to the Academy of Ukrainian Press representatives during the roundtable “Body Armor for Journalists. Journalists Protection at War Times”. UNESCO representative Mehdi Benchelah participated in the roundtable and emphasised how important it is to have the trustworthy sources during the war.
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100 protection kits were passed to Ukrainian journalists at the roundtable in the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. The overall number of the provided kits reached 125 (helmets and bulletproof vests). That’s not the only way UNESCO supports journalists in the Russian-Ukrainian war. It also organises training sessions, provides manuals for the journalists who work in dangerous conditions. The roundtable started with the moment of silence in support of the journalists who were killed during the full-scale Russian invasion. The representatives of media organisations gave speeches at the roundtable. A Senior Specialist of the Press Freedom and Development department Mehdi Benchelah, an Executive Director of the International Charity Fund “The Academy of Ukrainian Press” Andrii Kovalenko, a media expert Tetyana Popova, journalists Yevheniia Virlych and Vladyslav Hladkyi, a representative of Portuguese public broadcasting Mateus Antonio, an editor-in-chief of “Svativski Vidomosti” (Luhansk region) Andrii Kriukov, a correspondent of “Nova Gazeta. Europe” Olha Musafirova, a head of “Vechirnii Kyiv” and “Khreshchatyk” Yevhen Lopushynskyi, and a head of the BELSAT office in Ukraine Illya Suzdalev shared their thoughts on mass media employees’ protection during the war. Serhii Tomilenko and Lina Kushch informed about the main activities of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine aimed to support Ukrainian journalists in reporting the truth to the public.
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The frontline mass media of Ukraine are under attack again as Russia shells the editorial office of the newspaper “Zorya” for the second time. The editorial office is situated in Zolochiv village of the Kharkiv region. The editor-in-chief Vasyl Miroshnyk says they have just finished the renovation after the first shelling. He admits it was too soon. The editorial office of “Zorya” newspaper thanked the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine as well as its head Serhii Tomilenko for the provision of protection kits for the journalists and support in finding international funding.
Stability for Ukrainian Mass Media
The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine is launching the Ukrainian Media Support Fund to prevent the collapse of Ukrainian media, including those that were economically independent and effective before the war. The Union expects that the government could facilitate contributions to this Fund from different sources, including international grants. The Fund works with the advisory support of the Truman company.
Email: [email protected]
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The Committees of the Supreme Council will hold special hearings “Ukrainian Media in Conditions of the Full-scale War and Economic Crisis”. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine initiated these hearings to address the issue of financial stability of Ukrainian mass media.
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The discussion on the international mass media support held in the Lviv Journalists’ Solidarity Center. Operations Director Max Morel and Program Manager Jacqueline Dalton of the Hirondelle Foundation attended the meeting. The first secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Lina Kushch claimed that according to the survey they held, 80% of editors in Ukraine will search for new sources of funding, 60% will cut expenses as well as search new clients and partners. The economic stability of Ukrainian media, especially regional and local, is a priority of the Nordic countries media business and the Polish Foundation “Gazeta Wyborcza”. The The executive director of the Danish Media Association Mads Brandstramp (Denmark), the vice-president of the World Newspaper Association Stig Kirk Ørskov (Denmark), the head of the “Gazeta Wyborcza” Foundation (Poland) Yoanna Krawchyk and the executive director of the Association of Independent Regional Publishers of Ukraine Oksana Brovko attended the meeting. The participants gathered to address the issues Ukrainian mass media are currently facing.
The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers
Two more regional Journalists’ Solidarity Centers created in addition to three existing. The administration of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine discussed the details during the meeting. The centers are open in Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Zaporizhzhya, and Dnipro.
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The journalists from Donbas, who fled to the West of Ukraine because of the war and continued their work, received the laptops thanks to the Journalists’ Solidarity Center in Chernivtsi.
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The tactical first aid kit training was held at the Journalists’ Solidarity Center in Chernivtsi. The journalists were taught how to use the kits. The event was open for local and internally displaced journalists.
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The journalist of the Latvian edition “Zemgale Zinas” (Jelgava) Gaitis Grūtups together with other volunteers brought another batch of cars for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He visited the Journalists’ Solidarity Center in Ivano-Frankivsk. This time he brought 7 cars. In general, within 2 months they visited Ukraine 37 times and provided 450 cars.
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The State Emergency Service of Ukraine held the training in the Journalists’ Solidarity Center in Ivano-Frankivsk. The participants learned how to handle explosive and suspicious objects. The training on filming and video editing for quick dissemination of information in social networks was held in Lviv Journalists’ Solidarity Center in partnership with the Kharkiv Press Club. Both local and internally displaced journalists participated in the training.
Supporting journalists who survived the war
Ukrainian journalists living in Kosovo withing the support program Journalists-in-Residence took part in the presentation of the project “One of three and all for one”. This event was organized by the ex-president of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga and The Jahjaga Foundation, which has been taking care of the social integration of women and vulnerable groups of the Balkan Peninsula since 2018.
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Ukrainian journalists Serhii Shevchenko and Lyudmila Mekh held a series of meetings with the public and press in the Japanese cities of Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto in the second half of July. GREEN COOP company made this mission of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and All-Ukrainian Charity Fund “Journalistic Initiative” possible and transferred money for the well-being of the journalists who survived the war.
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Former journalist of the TV channel “Kultura” and the host of the “Live” TV channel Denis Minin has devoted himself to volunteering since the beginning of the full-scale war. After helping his family leave Ukraine, he united with other volunteers in order to rescue Ukrainians from the occupied territories. Today, Denis Minin’s team consists of four people and several vehicles. The project “We are from Ukraine!” told the story of Denis Minin. Lithuanian journalists announced a fundraiser to support Danylo Ishchenko, who was severely injured and lost his leg in the Russian-Ukrainian war. The Chairman of the Lithuanian Journalists Union Dainius Radzevičius was the first to help the initiative of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.
