On October 9, the anniversary Donbas Media Forum began in Kyiv – an annual professional event that has been bringing together Ukrainian journalists and media experts for the tenth year in a row. This year’s topic – “Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom of Lies” – is dedicated to the main challenges that Ukrainian media are overcoming during a full-scale war and in the face of global disinformation, as well as practical cases of European partners.
The forum was solemnly opened by the Chair of the National Council, Olha Herasymiuk, who recalled that ten years ago the war in Donbas began not only with shelling and tanks – it began with information silence. During 2014-2015, several dozen regional newspapers and TV channels ceased operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and websites and radio stations were closed.
“Then the enemy established censorship in the occupied territories, and this led to the information isolation of local people, Ukrainians who found themselves in those circumstances.”
It was on these days in 2015 that the first Donbas Media Forum was held in Kyiv – as a platform for a safe dialogue of journalists separated by war. According to the Chair of the National Council, these ten years have changed not only Ukraine, but also the whole world. Today, the information war is being waged in the digital space, where it is increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from manipulation.
“This is no longer post-truth. This is a time when access to information and knowledge is becoming instant and widely available. And in this there is a great achievement of humanity, but at the same time – great dangers.”
In democratic societies, freedom of speech is increasingly becoming an indulgence for deliberate lies, and the truth is a victim of manipulation.
“Every year, dozens of journalists are killed, missing, or captured while doing their job. This freedom requires courage when there is chaos all around. But at the same time, it requires responsibility for every word, when the information space has turned into a minefield of disinformation,” Ms. Herasymiuk emphasized, commenting on the forum’s topic.
She also emphasized that critical thinking is the only way to survive in the era of digital threats, and urged society not to remain silent when freedom is replaced by propaganda.
The opening of the forum demonstrated broad international support for Ukraine in the information war. Diplomats and representatives of international organizations joined in the welcoming speech: Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine, Heiko Thoms; Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine, Luboš Veselý; Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, Maciej Janczak; Chief of Operations, OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine, Pierre Baussand; Communication and Information Programme Coordinator, UNESCO Antenna in Ukraine, Albertina Piterbarg; Vice Chair of the Executive Board of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, former Member of the European Parliament, Rebecca Harms; Head of DMF organising board, Liubov Rakovytsia.
Donbas Media Forum was founded in 2015 by journalists from Donetsk and Luhansk regions who were the first to face the challenges of war – forced relocation, work on the front lines, and the need to tell the truth despite threats. Over the years, the forum has been held in various cities – Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sviatohirsk, and also online during the pandemic. This year, the forum was attended by over a thousand participants, including at least 400 representatives of regional media.
