War in Ukraine: emergency support programmes for journalists on the front line

As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to escalate, Ukrainian journalists are on the front line, playing a vital role in keeping information flowing. To support journalists working in increasingly difficult conditions, a number of assistance programmes are available for media and journalists in Ukraine.

The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) has published a resource guide on the crisis/emergency funding that is available for journalists, which is also available in Ukrainian. Resources range from grants, to medical support, provision of equipment, security support, relocation and insurance.

The opportunities listed include:

Civil Rights Defenders

Civil Rights Defenders provides protection grants to human rights defenders and CSOs, including journalists, including financial assistance for relocations, equipment, transportation and various other aspects.

Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists‘ Journalist Assistance programme dispenses emergency grants to journalists in distress worldwide through the CPJ’s Gene Roberts Emergency Fund. How to get help

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

ECPMF provides no grants at the moment, but temporary relocation of journalists/media workers at risk to Leipzig, Germany (up to 6 months) as part of its Journalists-in-Residence (JiR) Programme. Find out more

European Endowment for Democracy

The EED has approved an emergency assistance programme for its Ukrainian partners. The focus of this assistance is on ensuring their safety, their ability to relocate and on ensuring ongoing support to partners so that they can continue and adapt their activities. This package includes emergency funding and a top-up fund for grantees to cover additional needs such as re-location and security. In addition, grants that were due to conclude have been automatically extended. Apply for support

Applicants whose security is particularly at risk, and do not wish to submit information via the online application form can submit their application directly by using end-to-end encrypted emails below: Protonmail email: [email protected]

Tutanota email: [email protected] 

Freedom House

Freedom House provides assistance to journalists and media staff at risk, with several funds that offer emergency assistance including temporary relocation, medical expenses and replacement of equipment. Check out Emergency Assistance and Thematic Programmes at Freedom House

Free Press Unlimited

Free Press Unlimited offers one-off support to media professionals in distress with emergency assistance, legal support, and safety advice through Reporters Respond. Support includes medical assistance, replacement of destroyed equipment, security advice and bulletproof vests. The fund will do the utmost to provide the support as soon as possible. In the most urgent cases, support can be offered within 24 hours.

Are you a journalist in distress? Apply for support here

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Safety Fund

The IJF’s Safety Fund  offers financial assistance in a range of emergency cases such as threats, violence, prosecution, settlement in exile and illness. How to apply

International Media Support: Defending Journalism (DJ) Safety Fund

The Defending Journalism (DJ) Safety Fund for emergency relocation, family, legal and medical support provides immediate support for journalists who are victimised as a direct result of their journalistic work. Find out more

International Women in Media Foundation (IWMF) Emergency Fund

The fund provides women journalists with a lifeline of support in times of crisis, including grants and relocation assistance. Find out more

Keep Ukraine’s media going

The Fix, a UK-based media industry publication and consultancy with Ukrainian roots, is partnering with Are We Europe, Jnomics, and Media Development Foundation, as well as multiple media partners from across Europe in a campaign to support Ukrainian media. The group is working with a growing list of Ukrainian media, including Ukrainska Pravda, Zaborona, Detector Media and others. 

The Fix is offering:

First priority funding

• Protection and media equipment purchases and delivery to Ukraine (here is a list of supplies – delivering via Poland and Romania)
• Direct operational and financial support to media in Ukraine (e.g., covering IT costs, insurance, transport, purchase of supplies)

Long-term needs

• Support for media staff relocation to EU countries 
• Setting up offices and accommodation of media staff in EU countries 

In addition, they are:

• Ensuring media receive tech support, by directly connecting publications with providers who have offered their services, helping migrate hosting, boost storage, debug sites, etc. 
• Connecting media to other donors and/or helping with grant applications so that media staff in Ukraine don’t have to spend time on paperwork.

You can support by donating on the GoFundMe platform. 

If you are representing independent media covering the war, want to be a part of the campaign and receive financial or any other help, please send a short description of your media and the list of urgent needs to the email [email protected].

Katapult

Katapult, an independent magazine with offices located in north-eastern Germany, is offering editorial office space for Ukrainian journalists who have fled the country. The company is offering 2000 m² of office space plus desks, computers, servers & accommodation.

Lviv Media Forum

The Lviv Media Forum is providing 24/7 digital support to the Ukrainian editorial boards and journalists during the crisis. 

• Cybersecurity consulting to protect the Ukrainian media space
• Unblocking Facebook and Instagram accounts, providing further assistance to prevent social media assets from being banned 

It also provides logistical support to media, including:

• Assisting in search of evacuation possibilities for journalists and their families; 
• Shelter places in Lviv that provide a roof over one’s head, shower, laundering facilities, and basic food supplies;
• Workplaces, internet connection, and device charger stations; 
• Professional mental health support that includes personal appointments;  
• Assisting in search of gear equipment and means of personal protection; 
• Financial support for content creation and internet hosting;
• Gathering information about additional needs of editorial boards and searching for means to fulfill them; 
• Providing work equipment for editorial boards;
• Ready-to-use textual and visual guideline assets to maintain information hygiene;
• Lviv Media Center (20 Ruska Street) coordinates foreign reporters and provides local fixers.

National Endowment for Democracy (NED)

The National Endowment for Democracy’s (NED) Ukraine team is working around the clock to find ways to support partners in the country. If you are the victim of a DDOS attack, NED can refer your organisation to Cloudflare, an American web infrastructure and website security company that provides content delivery network and DDoS mitigation services. Cloudflare offers pro-bono protections against DDOS attacks for organisations referred by NED. For access to emergency funding, journalists and media workers can write to [email protected] with ideas and proposals for quick access to contingency funds.

New Democracy Fund – Rapid Response Fund

The Rapid Response Fund for the Eastern Neighbourhood Countries is aimed at civil society organisations, human rights defenders, artist, filmmakers, and journalists in emergencies, conflict, and serious political or legislative change. In response to the war in Ukraine, the Fund has established a fast-track for applications. Find out more

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Reporters Without Borders provides financial assistance  to professional journalists and citizen-journalists to help them defend themselves, and help the families of imprisoned journalists. How to apply

RSF provide also provides a complete health insurance and repatriation for journalists and reporters for almost any country, war zone included.

In partnership with the Ukrainian Institute of Mass Information, RSF has also launched a Press Freedom Centre in Lviv, Ukraine.

The centre will, amongst other things, be providing training in physical safety and first aid to journalists attending in person or by video-conference.

Rory Peck Trust Crisis Fund

The ​​Rory Peck Trust manages a Crisis Fund that provides grants to freelance journalists to help with costs associated with an immediate crisis, either personal or in cases of force majeure such as natural disasters or political and civil unrest.Applications from freelancers based in Ukraine are encouraged. A grant from the Crisis Fund can help with the costs of temporary relocation and temporary accommodation as well as safety kits including flak jackets and helmets etc. These applications will be treated as a priority. Full details

RESOURCE GUIDE

The GFMD has also published a resource guide on crisis/emergency resources for covering the war in Ukraine (also available in Ukrainian). The guide includes information on available digital support and logistical support, twitter threads with resources and articles that may be useful for journalists, further tools and resources for journalists covering the Ukrainian war, and safety tips.

Find out more

Funding guide

Resource guide