In 2022 more than 200 media support organisations joined the GFMD to draft and promote the Perugia Declaration for Ukraine which was launched at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia. The declaration was translated into 10 languages and has been the basis for the policy and advocacy efforts of GFMD and its members and partners throughout the year.
One year after the launch of the Perugia Declaration for Ukraine, GFMD is reaching out in collaboration with the organisers of the International Journalism Festival to propose additional calls to action to strengthen the further implementation of the declaration (Find the full text of the declaration here).
It is important to remind ourselves that Ukrainian media and journalists need our long-term support, especially in the context of the ongoing war and economic hardship that affect the country. We stand with and continue to support journalists and independent media in Ukraine and strive to implement media assistance in more relevant and efficient ways to help Ukrainian colleagues.
We kindly invite our members and partners to use the updated declaration in policy and advocacy activities around World Press Freedom Day 2023. You will find the press kit and visual materials here.
As a result of the GFMD’s Ukraine information-sharing meetings, and several needs assessments collected by our Ukrainian and international members and partners, we suggest adding several new calls to action to the Perugia Declaration for Ukraine:
To international media and journalists:
- Fact-check all information that justifies and obfuscates the war in Ukraine and avoid spreading the main narratives of Russian propaganda.
- Engage Ukrainian media and expert communities in communication and cooperation at the international level so that the global information space is filled with facts and expert comments on the situation in Ukraine instead of Russian propaganda.
- Develop mentoring programs for Ukrainian local media which could include business management and strategic thinking support and training for editors on where to look for funding opportunities and guide them during the application process.
- Assist in preventing the creation of media deserts in Ukraine at the national, regional, and hyperlocal levels.
To private and public donors and funders of professional journalism:
- Ensure media viability in the country by avoiding focusing on specific regions. It is important to support the media not only from the regions near the frontline but from the whole of Ukraine. Additionally, it’s dangerous to support only large and strong media organizations while leaving small ones to die without support.
- Help Ukrainian media become financially independent. Assist in developing a stable monetization system and new models of economic sustainability. Look for the formats of support that will ensure a long-term perspective and flexible approaches to the distribution of funds.
To the EU, EU member states, members of the Media Freedom Coalition and all states that care about the right to freedom of expression and access to information:
- Provide support to Ukrainian civil society and media organisations in monitoring and influencing the constructive implementation of the media law, understanding its long-term outcomes on the media sector, as well as ensuring that it does not restrict press freedom.
- Search and develop opportunities for closer interaction and cooperation between Ukrainian and European media markets and media communities
To technology, telecoms, internet intermediaries and advertisers:
- Ensure that content about war crimes and human rights violations is not lost. Work on the transparency of the policy of the platforms to avoid unofficial restrictions and removal of the graphic content related to war and potential violations of human rights. Media outlets often practice self-censorship to avoid being banned or to prevent their accounts from being suspended.
- Establish clear protocols and support for fair and effective content moderation practices. By understanding key actors and sources of information, companies can better respond to crises and ensure that valuable information is preserved.
To media development and journalism support organisations:
- Prepare a set of recommendations on how to build a sustainable plan for reconstructing Ukrainian media in the long run. Bring media reconstruction in Ukraine to the agenda of major stakeholders responsible for donor coordination and preparing multi-stakeholder pooling of funds and scenarios for Ukraine to be rebuilt
- Provide trauma-informed psychological support for Ukrainian journalists, which means being attentive to how subtleties in programme design and implementation can either augment or diminish feelings of safety.
- Focus on thematic areas or up-to-date national priorities. It helps align coordination with sector-level reform or policymaking. Themes that resonate with a broad constituency of local stakeholders and that require urgent action are likely to secure greater ownership and engagement.
- Map databases and share spreadsheets that provide stakeholders with an up-to-date overview of the local media development landscape in Ukraine and empower them to make informed decisions on future projects. A centralised and searchable repository of studies, reports, and legislative documents is also likely to enjoy a good level of take-up.
Add your organisation as a signatory of the declaration or sign the declaration in a personal capacity using this short form.
Background
Perugia Declaration for Ukraine was launched at the International Journalism Festival on April 9, 2022. As a result, 219 media organizations signed it, we were able to translate it into 10 languages helping us to mobilize further and better support Ukrainian journalists and media (You can read more about GFMD’s emergency media support for Ukraine here). The Perugia Declaration has been the basis for our policy and advocacy efforts throughout the year, most notably on 4 May at the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) Conference in Uruguay 2022 at a high-level session “Safety of Journalists in Ukraine War” organised by UNESCO and GFMD (Watch the full session here). On 20 April 2023 the updated Perugia Declaration was announced during the session “Investigating the crimes of war” at the International Journalism Festival (Watch it here).