The majority of Ukrainian journalists are currently remaining in the country to work as best they can. To do so they need equipment, including bulletproof vests, satellite phones, emergency bandages, etc. Supply routes to get such equipment into the country exist, but funds are needed for purchasing. Other journalists need financial assistance relocating to the western part of the country or, in some cases, abroad.

To serve this need, IPI has established a Ukraine Solidarity Fund. All funds raised will go directly to independent media in Ukraine. IPI is working closely with several trusted partners to distribute funding to a range of journalists in the country, including The Fix and the Media Development Foundation, which has coordinated emergency funding to nearly 60 independent media organizations in Ukraine. Through the IPI Ukraine Solidarity Fund we will be able to provide a united contribution from IPI members to media with urgent needs.

IPI members that wish to make a contribution to the Ukraine Solidarity Fund may use the following IPI bank account:

While many Ukrainian journalists are currently staying in the country, others have been forced to flee. This number may increase with time. Additionally, the unprecedented crackdown in Russia is forcing independent journalists to flee from Russia as well. IPI is mobilizing its network to help provide displaced journalists a place to work and possibly support in finding accommodation so they can continue doing their jobs.

If your newsroom is able to host independent Ukrainian or Russian journalists forced to flee or provide other forms of support (such as news and safety equipment) as the crisis unfolds, please contact the IPI secretariat info@ipi.media directly.

We will use this information to make a database of members to match offers of support with Ukraine journalists and media in need. To do this effectively IPI is coordinating closely with our members and networks in Ukraine; with donors; and with the broader media freedom community to ensure the best allocation of resources and that they get to those who need them.

While we are heavily focused on Ukraine, the needs of our colleagues in both Russia and Belarus bravely trying to fight the censorship and repression are also on our minds and will be equally part of our solidarity strategy. 

IPI is also setting up a dedicated database to record all press freedom violations related to the Ukraine conflict. We will be cross-posting these alerts with the two other platforms that IPI contributes to: the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection and Safety of Journalists and the Mapping Media Freedom platform in which we cooperate with several media freedom partners and coordinate advocacy efforts.

We ask you to:

• Inform us whenever or wherever you hear of a related media freedom violation.

• Support our advocacy campaigns arising from these violations including asking your governments to do their bit in ensuring a free and safe media in this time of war.

• Find IPI’s full coverage of the war here