World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991.
At least 16 journalists have died in the war in Ukraine so far since Russia began its assault on February 24. To pay tribute to them, LSM is reproducing their names in the assurance that their names and work will not be forgotten.
Journalists and documentary filmmakers from around the world have died including Ukrainian, American, Irish, Russian and Lithuanian camera operators, reporters, producers, documentary makers and photographers.
The initiative to honor journalists killed in Ukraine is being led in Latvia by Latvian Radio 4's show 'Doma laukums' (Dome Square) in cooperation with Ukrainian media.
Additionally, on World Press Freedom Day, Latvian Radio channels will play a special audio story in which relatives and colleagues talk about the fallen journalists.
"Although social media allows Ukraine's war to be watched online to some extent, the role of journalists in covering the war has not diminished. Propaganda and misinformation are powerful weapons of war, and it is journalists who are able to offer real-life information to the public in such circumstances,” says Anita Brauna, Editor-in-Chief of Latvian Radio.
The initiative of Latvian Radio 4 is being implemented in cooperation with the Ukrainian media holding Starlight media group and the Baltic Media Center of Excellence.
As part of the initiative, a special website is published on 3 May at http://mediamemorial.in.ua/ where you can read the names and biographies of the fallen, along with stories from relatives and testimonies from colleagues.
You can also read about the journalists who have given their lives by following the links below. The list includes both reporters killed while going about their jobs and several Ukrainian journalists who took up arms to defend their country.
Mantas Kvedaravičius (Lithuania), documentary maker
Evgeny Sakun (Ukraine), cameraman, Kyiv.LIVE
Roman Nezhiborets (Ukraine), video director, Ditynets TV
Brent Renaud (USA), documentary maker and producer, The New York Times
Maxim Levin (Ukraine), photographer
Pierre Zakrzewski (Ireland), cameraman, Fox News
Alexandra Kuvshinova (Ukraine), journalist, fixer, Fox News
Oksana Baulina (Russia), reporter, The Insider
Vera Girich (Ukraine), journalist, producer, Radio Svoboda
Victor Dedov (Ukraine), director, cameraman, Sigma TV
Victor Dudar (Ukraine), reporter, Express
Oleg Yakunin (Ukraine), journalist
Yuriy Oliynyk (Ukraine), cameraman, photojournalist, Channel 24
Eugene Bal (Ukraine), writer, journalist
Zoreslav Zamoysky (Ukraine), journalist
Dilerbek Shakirov (Ukraine), journalist
In addition it is worth noting that the winner of the annual UNESCO Press Freedom Prize is the Belarusian Association of Journalists, struggling to bring real reporting about the dictator Lukashenko's regime in Latvia's neighboring country.
