11 Tips for Journalists Covering the Russian War against Ukraine
The Russian invasion caused huge media interest in Ukraine. Press coverage goes beyond political news and military reporting and includes feature stories, interviews, op-eds, and general commentary.
Suddenly, Ukraine which used to be largely below the radar of many Western media outlets, is the center of attention. Many news outlets do not have a dedicated reporter specializing in Ukraine. Even big outlets, at best, have reporters for Eastern Europe in neighboring countries, like Hungary, Romania, and Russia.
Lack of experience in covering a country with such a complicated history and a unique cultural identity is shown in subtle but important nuances of phrasing, wording, and interview questions. Those nuances are especially important when communicating with people during wartime — the most horrific and emotional experience one could ever go through.
After a month of reading the news and working with press inquiries, I came up with some tips that come in handy covering sensitive topics in Ukraine. They cover various aspects from correct wording to avoiding propaganda baits and directing a narrative.
Journalists, please, take them into account to produce better more accurate texts about complicated issues.
1. The basics
The only acceptable terms to describe what’s happening in Ukraine are war, aggression, and invasion.
“Crisis, tragedy, situation, unfortunate events, special operation, peacemaking mission” will make your writing sound evasive, ignorant, and aligned with Russian propaganda.
2. The basics of reporting during wartime
I was looking for a comprehensive article in English specifying what to publish and what not to publish during the war from an operational security standpoint, and I didn’t find one. I hope this is something that is covered in journalism schools. I’d like to mention some crucial things:
- Don’t disclose the location of hospitals, strategic objects, military units, and checkpoints.
- Don’t reveal the identities of people involved in defense and executing military orders.
- Use only verified official sources to report on losses, damage, and strikes.
Some facts and events may not be published to avoid the correction of fire and preserve the safety of civilians. Reporting the damage caused by war is important, but stay clear of revealing specific locations and addresses — it helps the aggressor correct their offense. Remember, 80% of intelligence is open source information, including media content. By revealing too much, you help the aggressor.
3. Be specific in who did what to whom
“Russia invaded Ukraine.”
“Russian war against Ukraine.”
“Russian army in Ukraine.”
Describing the war, specify its cause, not just the fact of it. “War in Ukraine” is sufficient as long as you mention who started it. Otherwise, it’s just a random thing happening in Ukraine for random reasons.
4. Call things what they are
It’s Putin’s regime, but it’s the Russian Army, aggression, invasion, etc. Putin doesn’t drive the tanks. Putin doesn’t shoot the guns. There are thousands of people executing and supporting Putin’s orders. Independent studies indicate the 58% approval rate of the war among Russians. It was Hitler who led the army, but the Holocaust was carried out by millions of Germans and their allies.
5. Don’t assume that a birthplace defines a person’s national identity
In the USSR, people traveled between its republics without leaving a country. They could be born in Russia, study in Belarus, and work in Ukraine. Don’t assume they are Russian only because they were born there. Ask how they identify if you have doubts.
6. The native language does not always reflect the national identity
The Russian empire banned the Ukrainian language many times. The USSR was also an empire with Russia as the dominant entity. It enforced the Russian language and appropriated the cultures of its colonies, including Ukraine. Hence, there are many Russian speakers all over the country, especially in the east of Ukraine that was under the Russian empire’s reign for centuries. Tale as old as time. Take any postcolonial relations: 99% of Irish people speak English; only 40% of the population claimed they could speak Irish at all.
At the same time, 46% of Ukrainians speak Ukrainian every day and almost 21% speak both Ukrainian and Russian. In real life, there are situations when two people led a dialogue in both languages simultaneously. So narrowing down language to national identity is presumptuous and plays well in a Russian narrative.
7. Exceptions make a great story but may distort the picture
Describe them respectively. Thousands of Ukrainians risking their lives eventually tire the media audience with their routine heroism. Reporters look for a new angle. One Russian activist with a faux protest on a national TV channel makes an impression of resistance in Russia, overshadowing the fact that the majority of Russians support the invasion. When writing about oppression, please, focus your narrative on the oppressed ones, not the oppressor's side.
8. Represent sides proportionally to their value
If you do write an article about devastated Russian entrepreneurs, ask yourself how many Ukrainian businessmen have you written about, and compare the scale of their issues: losing clients versus losing lives. Balancing and representing sides is crucial to good reporting. But don’t broadcast lies or serve as a lifeboat for people who’ve been taking advantage of the existing regime until recently.
9. If you want to support Ukrainians with your reporting, just do so
Don’t bring others into it. If you want to shed light on Ukrainian small businesses struggling in times of war, just write about them. Don’t put Russian businesses in the same piece — it’s not Russia that is experiencing heavy bombing, shelling, kidnapping, rape, and murders right now. Don’t disperse that light.
10. Beware of the Russian propaganda baits
If you receive a hot tip compromising Ukrainian forces or highlighting Russians in a new light, ask yourself: Why did I receive it? Who is the source? Why are they interested in tipping me? The scale of Russian propaganda is hard to comprehend. They use any opportunity to dominate the news cycle with the messages beneficial for them. Tips describing Ukraine as a homophobic, racist, abusive, “third world” country aim to undermine the image of Ukraine among its Western allies. Check them twice on your “propagandar.” If those tips trigger a sensitive issue, make a great unusual story, and were dropped to you intentionally or found on unreliable platforms, those are red flags. It doesn’t mean that the tip is completely false, but it may be exaggerated, taken out of the context or misinterpreted.
11. Do the right thing
When writing about the war and people experiencing it, it is hard to balance unbiased facts and insightful observations. In situations of hesitation, do the right thing. Ask yourself: What is the right side of history and where do I stand with my article?
Also, don’t let the temptation of new angles and more clicks direct the topics you write about. Instead of discovering gory new details or providing a voice to an aggressor, focus on important things to cover. Ask yourself, how a person sitting in a bomb shelter or a mother who lost her son to war feel about your reporting. It’s not a universal principle, but it’s a good one in times like this.
Ukrainians have been misrepresented in the global discourse for centuries: Their history has been misinterpreted, their culture has been appropriated, their image has been attacked. Every story is an opportunity for Ukraine to finally set the record straight. They rely on international media to be their voice of truth. By reporting on critical issues appropriately, you leave your mark in history.
