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.
• Based in Germany, the Media Freedom Rapid Response is an EU organization providing emergency assistance for Ukrainian journalists. 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.

Independent media support

• 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

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

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

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by International Journalists’ Network

Photo by Max Kukurudziak on Unsplash