The challenges Ukrainian journalists face and how the NUJU helps them
A year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) has drawn up several numbers (shown in this Twitter thread) of the impact the invasion has had on journalists and how NUJU’s efforts have helped many of them.
The numbers show how many journalists have been affected and in what ways. 22% of media teams lost access to their work spaces, and 87% of media lost advertisers. Many journalists (over 2000) had to move away from the war zone, and 30% of media have suspended their work. These are just some examples that show how challenging the work of Ukrainian journalists has been since the invasion.
International support
With the help of over a hundred international organisations and media, the NUJU has been able to support Ukrainian journalists the past year. For example with legal assistance, individual consults and safety training, generators and power banks, and safety equipment like helmets and first aid kits.
Free Press Unlimited is one of the international organisations that cooperates with the NUJU. This has been one of the ways in which we have supported journalists in and around Ukraine through our initiative Media Lifeline Ukraine.
Read about our work in Ukraine
We are very honored to have received this letter of appreciation (as shown below) from the NUJU. We are happy to contribute and we will continue to support the work of journalists in and around Ukraine.
Letter of appreciation from The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU)
Dear friends,
The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) expresses its deep respect and sincere gratitude to you for your support from the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A year ago, our lives, the lives of all Ukrainian journalists, changed dramatically in one day. Shelling, bomb shelters, evacuation, occupation, lack of communication, water, food, transport, places to spend the night at were the reality we faced during the first days.
And since the first days of full-scale war, we have received messages, calls, letters from you with one question: "How can we help you?"
This helping hand has been strong and reliable. We received sensitive, caring and sincere friends who realized our problems as their own, and did not stand aside in this year complicated for our country in general and for journalism in particular.
We highly appreciate the help offered by international partners. You sent us bulletproof vests, helmets, first-aid kits for journalists, laptops, phones, cameras and other equipment, sleeping bags, vitamins or other vital things for displaced journalists. Thanks to your funds, we were able to support Ukrainian journalists in the most difficult months of the war and helped them resume their work.
The NUJU detected the most painful and critical points in media activity, monitored the lives of journalists who were in trouble, in order to timely provide them with the necessary assistance in cooperation with international partners. We managed to solve extremely complex problems such as provision of means of protection for media workers for hot spots; evacuation of journalists from areas of high level of threat to life and health; financial support of mass media employees left without means for living; assistance in the resumption of newspaper publishing due to the war; provision of equipment and other means for further journalistic activities, etc.
And most importantly, you and your journalists informed your citizens in detail about what is happening in Ukraine. Thanks to the courageous work of foreign journalists in Ukraine, the world sees the truth.
This is true solidarity, dear colleagues!
Your support made it possible for the Ukrainian press to persevere and gain new experience, and for media workers to stay in their profession, to develop professionally, to be at the forefront of information events, and for many of those who became forced migrants to recover from the horrors of the war and find strength for further life.
We have collected some figures and facts about how the Union and its international partners helped Ukrainian journalists.
https://twitter.com/Stommedia/status/1629033211249426432
https://twitter.com/Stommedia/status/1629033589688999936
https://twitter.com/Stommedia/status/1629033705074311168
Thank you for being around! Journalists are Important!
Best regards,
Sergiy Tomilenko, the President of the NUJU,
Lina Kushch, the First Secretary of the NUJU.
Read more here.
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Together with our partners, we kick-started Media Lifeline Ukraine. By supporting journalists in and around Ukraine, we maintain the flow of reliable information. You can support us here!
