Independent Ukrainian media is a key element distinguishing us from Putin’s Russia. It is the voice of our values, our freedom and democracy, which makes Ukrainian society resilient even in the most difficult times.
Today, independent media need your support more than ever. According to the Institute of Mass Information, since the beginning of the invasion, 329 Ukrainian media outlets have closed due to Russia's aggression and financial hardship caused by the war. Recently, by order of the newly elected US president's administration, funding for all projects of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was suspended for 90 days. USAID has been supporting hundreds of various media projects in Ukraine, especially after the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
This means that hundreds of communities across Ukraine may be left without access to local and regional news, to investigations and high quality media. That is, they will be left without a tool that ensures control over power and boosts the stability of democratic institutions.
Independent media that are not funded by oligarchs are now busy trying to survive in addition to their reporting. International financial assistance is an important source of support for them. Numerous Ukrainian civil society organizations and media outlets have received grant support based on competitive selection, which allowed these organizations to advocate for socially important change, provide informational, psychological, and other types of assistance to victims, expose corruption schemes, and tell the stories of Ukrainians from the regions close to and far away from the frontline.
Funding for all programs and projects has now been suspended, without exception.
Supporting independent media is a long-term investment in the sustainability of our democracy, the government's accountability to society, and the security of Ukraine’s media space.
We, the Media Movement members, call on:
- International (foreign) charity foundations and support organizations operating in Ukraine to provide emergency support to Ukrainian media and non-governmental organizations in the media sector, whose work and survival are jeopardized by the loss of institutional funding. It is important that this assistance not only ensures their survival for now, but also bolsters their capacity and resilience that will allow us to endure similar crises in the future.
- Ukrainian citizens and businesses to lend a hand to independent media outlets and media organizations: both national and regional ones. Here are some ways to help:
1. Choose a media outlet or organization in your region or community that you trust and become their benefactor. Regular monetary contributions will help editorial teams get through difficult times, make long-term plans, and focus on producing high-quality content for their community.
2. Advertise your business in independent Ukrainian media outlets with content labelled as “Advertisement”. This will not only help the media maintain their financial stability, but will also create a good reputation for you and support your cause.
3. Read stories by independent media, share them and help promote high quality journalism.
To find a high quality news outlet, in your region in particular, you can use these data:
- the List of Transparent and Responsible Media Outlets, also known as the High Quality List;
- the Recommended Media Map;
- the media network Recovery Window;
- Ukrainian investigators: Bihus.info, DII-Ukraine, Crimean Center for Investigative Journalism, Mykolaiv Center for Investigative Journalism (NikCenter), Nashi Hroshi, NGL.media, Slidstvo.Info, Texty.org.ua, Chetverta Vlada, Center for Public Investigations, Syla Pravdy, Zaporizhzhia Investigation Center, etc.
- Ukrainian media organizations: Institute of Mass Information (ІМІ), CSO Detector Media (DM), Lviv Media Forum, Institute for Regional Press Development (IRPD), Human Rights Platform (HRP), Digital Security Lab, Souspilnist Foundation, Pylyp Orlyk Institute of Democracy, Internews Ukraine and many others.
- If some media outlet is not mentioned by these networks but matters to you and you trust it – support it.
For reference. The Media Movement is a community that brings together journalists from leading Ukrainian media, investigative journalists, and experts from media NGOs. Media Movement was launched on February 5, 2019.
The first signatories of the Media Movement Memorandum were UA: Pershyi, Ukrainian Radio, Hromadske Radio, Ukrinform, Interfax-Ukraine, Liga.net, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia. Ukraine”, NV, ‘Censor.net’, Channel 5, ‘Ukrainian Week’, Opinion, a number of regional media, NGOs Independent Media Council, Detector Media, Institute of Mass Information, Internews Ukraine, Center for Democracy and Rule of Law, Souspilnist Foundation, National Association of Media, Donetsk Institute of Information, Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy, Zmina Human Rights Center.
The Movement was later joined by other organizations and individual journalists: more than 70 participants in total. On November 16, 2021, representatives of prominent media outlets called on journalists to unite in the professional community Media Movement to push back against political and commercial pressure on freedom of speech. The statement was initiated by 29 journalists and experts, their names are available here.
Illustration: Getty Images
