Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, media outlets across the world have come together to express their solidarity and provide concrete support for independent journalists and media affected by the war.

Leading independent media in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, who form part of IPI’s Central Europe Independent Media Network, have offered to support displaced journalists who may end up in their countries by hosting them in their newsrooms.

While many of Ukraine’s journalists remain in the country to carry out the essential work of documenting the war, IPI recognizes that some of our Ukrainian colleagues may need to leave and continue their work from neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, growing numbers of Russian journalists have been forced to flee amid an unprecedented crackdown on independent journalism.

Our partners have already offered support in different ways, for example by promoting fundraising efforts to support Ukrainian media, and in the case of Gazeta Wyborcza by hosting refugees in their offices.

Newsrooms have also offered to provide working space, use of technology and editorial resources to displaced journalists. In some cases, the newsrooms would be able to host multiple journalists, allowing small teams to stay together. The situation remains uncertain and it is not clear how many journalists will be forced to flee and where they will move to, but IPI is coordinating the offers of support to ensure it can be given when needed.

Journalists from Ukraine or Russia who wish to be put in contact with one of the partner newsrooms can email [email protected]. We would also be happy to hear from other newsrooms who would be happy to host displaced journalists.