Ukraine: Reporting Conflict

"The challenge is to find new ways of covering the ongoing problems and how to find a fresh approach which will inform and educate the wider public."

This booklet aims to provide some pointers and practical advice for journalists in Ukraine - a country where the current conflict has already cost more than 5,000 lives and affected millions - on how to stay safe while getting closer to the heart of what is going on. It is not an exhaustive guide to reporting conflict but, rather, a short introduction to some of the challenges reporters face in a bitterly divided area. "Expect to meet some hostility, particularly from civilians caught in the middle of the conflict, and look out for obvious examples of bias, misinformation or blatant propaganda."

In addition to raising questions to spark thinking on the part of journalists, the guide provides advice for specific situations, such as reporting on the plight of Internally Displaced People (IDPs). (The actual number of IDPs in Ukraine is unclear, but figures ranging from 600,000 up to one million have been given by different bodies.) "Reporting on IDPs is a highly sensitive issue which demands great skill and compassion from journalists. How the issue is reported will undoubtedly affect public opinion about huge numbers of Ukrainians who are finding it impossible to return to their homes." The guide shares ideas gleaned from talking to Ukrainian journalists, such as writing a "Day in the Life of an IDP" or returning to re-interview a family a month or more after the first interview to find out how their lives have changed. Such strategies can bring fresh perspectives. "Use your contacts with journalists in other parts of the Ukraine to get a bigger picture of the situation to find out what is different in your area or if you share the same problems."