British Support Ukraine Media Initiative
A partnership-based initiative to strengthen support for Ukrainian journalists, photographers, filmmakers, independent content creators, writers and visual artists documenting Russia’s disgraceful war against Ukraine.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian media producers have endured extraordinary hardship. Reporters have been hunted, detained, tortured and killed. Photographers and videographers have been deliberately targeted by drones and artillery, while bloggers and independent creators have been beaten or threatened for exposing abuses.
Newsrooms have been destroyed, equipment lost, incomes have evaporated and families displaced. Freelancers often work without insurance, hostile-environment training, safety equipment or reliable pay, as advertising markets have collapsed and grants remain inconsistent.
Independent creators, writers and artists documenting the war frequently fall outside formal support structures. Alongside physical danger, exhaustion, trauma and financial precarity have become routine.
Yet Ukrainian media producers continue: not because conditions allow it, but because they believe the truth must be recorded. Their work preserves evidence, sustains public attention and forms part of Ukraine’s resistance. But courage alone is not sustainable.
PRESS aims to mobilise the UK’s vast media, creative and cultural sectors to protect and empower Ukrainian media producers: journalists, photographers, videographers, filmmakers, independent content creators, writers and visual artists.
Through a central online hub and strategic partnerships that deliver practical support alongside creative and career development opportunities, we aim to ensure that truthful reporting endures and that momentum towards a dignified and just peace continues to grow.
PRESS is not being set up for Ukrainian media producers: it is being created with them.
Ukrainian participation will help define needs, shape priorities and guide decision making. We invite Ukrainian organisations and individuals both at home and across the diaspora to get involved.
Most importantly: if you need support please reach out to us.
PRESS invites British organisations, groups and individuals to partner in direct support of Ukrainian media producers at the front line of truth including journalists, photographers, videographers, filmmakers, bloggers, writers, artists and independent creators.
We manage every aspect of our partnerships, from coordination to delivery, making participation straightforward, efficient and truly transparent.
Together, we can turn shared values into measurable, positive outcomes that help Ukraine defend itself today and build a free, democratic and resilient future.
Here you will find information about the various existing support schemes currently offered to Ukrainian media producers by leading organisations gathered in one place.
You will also find other resources here to promote the safety and wellbeing of Ukrainians and international media producers no matter your status in the media, arts and culture spaces.
‘Day and Night’, Part Three and final observation about my recent trip to Odesa. Before continuing with my impressions of Odesa in August, I want to acknowledge the limited scope of my experiences there. I had never set foot in Ukraine before and know only a few basic Ukrainian phrases. I entered through Chișinău, Moldova,…
Read postAfter a long day’s travel I found my apartment. I had chosen it because it was two kilometres from the coast, far enough I hoped, to be less vulnerable to Russian drones. It was a solid timeworn two-storey block with a central courtyard typical of the early nineteen-hundreds. Inside it bore none of the curation…
Read postThere are layers of reasons why I felt compelled to travel to Odesa in August last year – reasons I didn’t fully understand at first. It began with rational, altruistic motives. I had supported Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion, and I suppose I had invested a great deal of personal feeling into condemning…
Read postThe 24th of February 2022, Russian invaded Ukraine and I learnt a new phrase, SLAVA UKRAINE!
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A project where war poetry finds its voice in music.
Fallen Rhymes is a cultural and artistic project that combines the poetry of Ukrainian soldiers with the music of contemporary performers. Its goal is to convey the voices of war in the form of songs, poems and performances.
The project was created by OVO Literary Agency in partnership with the NGO Horizons Without Borders.
