The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and the network of Journalist Solidarity Centers have received the Media Freedom Award, the top prize of the Voices Festival held in Florence, Italy.

According to Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, cited by Ukrinform, the award was presented for efforts to support journalists and media outlets during the full-scale war.

The European jury highlighted the creation and development of the Journalist Solidarity Centers network, which provides professional, technical, and humanitarian assistance to media workers.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the centers have been operating in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. They help journalists obtain personal protective equipment, technical gear, and other support needed to continue working, including in frontline regions.

Thanks to their work, local media outlets continue to operate, including in communities located near the front line. The centers also coordinate assistance for journalists working under the difficult conditions of wartime.

Ukraine’s experience in supporting journalists in crisis conditions has attracted the attention of the international media community and is increasingly viewed as an example of solidarity and professional mutual assistance.