Journalists call on Zelenskyy and MoD to end harassment and develop transparent rules of work

Credit: Stas Yurchenko

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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 [email protected]

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

Thierry Birrer, auteur-reporter Soissons

Nataliya Adamovitch, journalist of ZMINA Center of Human Rightsурналістка

Euromaidan Press 

Oksana Rasulova, journalist for Hromadske

Metelska MAryana, Pavlo Perevedenets, Volyn Online

Vikotoria Semenyuk, news agency Volynski Novyny

Tetyana Vyssotska, independent journalist

Danylo Pavlov, photographer and photo editor for Reportes and The Ukrainians

Oleksander Brams, photo journalist and freelancer

Illya Ponomarenko, correspondent on defense for The Kyiv Indelendent

Tetyana Troshchynska, editor-in-chief of Hroamdske Radio

Rasmus Tantholdt, correspondent of TV2 Denmark

Herman Kriguer, photojournalist for "Watchers" edition

Oleh Petrasyuk, photo journalist

Hennadiy Minchenko, photojournalist for Ukrinform news agency

Danylo Antonyuk, photo journalist

МMykola Tymchenko, photojournalist for Den daily

Olena Leptuha, editrice-in-chief for the media group Nakypilo (Seething with indingatioin), president of NGO “Kharkiv crisis news center”, IMI representative in Kharkiv region

Alik Sardaryan, producer of documentary films and media

Yuriy Gorbach, director of the Center of journalistic investigations “Force of Truth”

Oksana Petruk, deputy of director of “Force of Truth”

Anton Buhaychuk, joutrnalist for “Force of Truth”

Valentyna Kuts, journalist of “Force of Truth”

Oleksander Khomenko, photo journalist

Paul Ronzheimer, journalist

Georgos Moutafis, journalist

Vadym Moiseenko, journalist

Serhiy Polezhaka, journalist

Oleksander Kuzmin, photo journalist

Serhiy Ryzhkov, photo journalist of Ukrainian orthodox church

Vyacheslav Ratysky, photojournalist of UNIAN news agency

Anna Voitenko, photo and videojournalist for Ukrinform news agency

Kostyantyn Chernichkin, photographer for The Kyiv Independent 

Valeriy Bolhan, president of the NGO “Center of public investigations”

Mila Teshaieva, photojournalist for Ostkreuz Agency Berlin 

Sodel Vladyslav, photoreporter, freelancer

Olena Maksymenko, journalist freelancer

Andriy Deheler, journalist, freelancer

Oleksa Shkatov, deputy of editor-in-chief of Depo.ua

Jacques Pezet, journalist for French daily “Libération” 

Vitaliy Ulybin,editor in chief of “Poltavska Khvylya”

Oleksander Dokien, editor-in-chief “Shpalty” (Pages) 

Maksym Trebukhov, photo journalist

Joanie de Rijke, journalist for Belgian newspaper “De Morgen”

Dmytro Larin, photo journalist for “Ukrayinska Pravda”

Gustavo Basso, freelancer reporter and photo journalist

Yaokhanna Kotisova, media researcher for Amsterdam University

Andriy Dubchak / CEO and founder Donbas Fronliner

Serhiy Chuzavkov, photo reporter, freelancer

Melnyk Denis, Ukrainian сameraman for documentary films

Natalie Gryvnyak, international journalist and media producer, founder of InFeatures Story Production, consultant for CPJ/Ukraine region