To President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ministry of Defense, the State Security Service, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine
Statement
We, Ukrainian and foreign journalists, as well as media organizations and NGOs, demand that all measures be taken immediately to end the harassment of journalists who are Ukraine’s greatest allies in this war. We also demand to involve qualified technical specialists and to develop transparent rules for the coverage of Russian shelling.
The contribution of journalists is extremely valuable for Ukraine. It is through their work that the world and the citizens of Ukraine learn about Russia’s crimes, about the humanitarian catastrophe they caused, and about the destruction and victims of the Russian shelling. It is thanks to the free and unhindered work of foreign journalists that the world now supports Ukraine. Instead, the Russian dictatorship is making every effort to exterminate independent journalists and newsrooms.
Due to systematic unsubstantiated statements by officials and official structures, the society began to see betrayal and “adjustment of fire” in the work of all journalists without exception, which is extremely harmful for Ukraine.
We call for immediate resolution of key issues which are necessary to improve the situation with the work of journalists in Ukraine.
- Settle the issue of accreditation of journalists from the Ministry of Defense. Explain to the Territorial Defense Units and the Security Service of Ukraine on the ground what this accreditation means. If journalists are required to provide additional documents to confirm the MoD’s accreditation, indicate what these documents should be in order to remove questions to journalists.
- Stop the practice of “manual mode” of journalists’ access to filming locations. Army generals must solve combat tasks, not spend their precious time on micromanagement of film crews on the ground.
- Involve technical specialists and finally resolve the issue of coverage of artillery and missile shelling and places of destruction. Allow journalists to work on the spot immediately after the shelling, but, if necessary, impose an embargo on the publication of information after the shelling. The decision to not cover the shelling should be reasoned by experts and transparent.
- Settle issues related to the coverage of humanitarian aid distribution points, bomb shelters, the life of peaceful cities, etc. We remind you that information about these places is publicly available, and on the contrary, the authorities and activists ask the media to disseminate it to inform citizens.
- Provide all possible assistance to the work of Ukrainian journalists, on a par with foreign media, and end “double standards” in relation to foreign and Ukrainian journalists.
We call on the parties to engage in dialogue and build transparent rules for the work of journalists in Ukraine. In order for Ukraine to win, it is very important to build the most favorable conditions for the work of a free press, as much as possible in conditions of war.
The statement is open for signatures of journalists. To sign it, write to info imi.org.ua
Mediarukh
Oksana Romanyuk, Executive Director of the Institute of Mass Information
Yulia Fediv, Director of the Hromadske
Anton Skyba, photojournalist and security expert
Iryna Zemlyana, media expert and security trainer for journalists of the Institute of Mass Information
Roman Stepanovych, Head of the 2402 Foundation (Urgent Support Fund for Journalists) and Head of Zaborona News Agency
Tetyana Kozak, correspondent of Graty
Yulia Bankova, editor-in-chief of Liga.net
Kateryna Sergatskova, уditor-in-сhief of Zaborona Media News Agency, co-founder of Foundation 2402
Anastasia Stanko, journalist of Hromadske
Olga Ivanova, Program Director, Stabilization Support Services Charitable Foundation
Tatiana Pechonchyk, head of the ZMINA Human Rights Center
Olga Padiryakova, editor-in-chief of ZMINA Human Rights Center
Anton Naumlyuk, editor-in-chief of Graty
Oleg Bazar, editor-in-chief of LB.ua.
Oleksandra Yefimenko, correspondent for Radio Liberty and Hromadske.
Stas Yurchenko, photographer of Graty
Eugenia Motorevska, editor-in-chief of Hromadske
Anna Sokolova, journalist of Graty
Roman Kulchynsky, editor-in-chief of Texty.org.ua
Oleksii Furman, freelance photojournalist
Stas Kozliuk, reporter, photojournalist
Natalyia Lygachova, head, chief editor of NGO Detector media
Collective
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