“The war is being waged on many fronts, including the media one,” Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori

“We fully understand the importance of the media in this war because it is being fought on many fronts, including the media one,” said the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, Matsuda Kuninori, during a meeting with representatives of the Journalists’ Solidarity Centers of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) in the central NUJU office.

“And since the war is also being waged in the media space, we understand that every day we are dealing with distorted, false, false information and false narratives from the Russian Federation,” the ambassador said.

According to him, Japan and the whole world understand how necessary transparent and objective coverage of events is now. Therefore, all journalists in Ukraine, both Ukrainian and international, contribute to the cause of conveying accurate information to their audience.

“Thanks to your efforts, we can understand what is really happening on the front line and in Ukrainian cities,” said Mr. Matsuda Kuninori. “Thanks to you, Ukrainian citizens will learn how to access international support, which is provided both in the territory of Ukraine and abroad.”

Mr. Ambassador noted that understanding this, the Japanese government cooperated with UNESCO to provide financial support to the NUJU’s Journalists’ Solidarity Centers. In addition, the necessary equipment and means of protection are provided and support in some other areas. In particular, it concerns helping journalists overcome post-traumatic stress disorders and other psychological problems that may arise during the war.

The ambassador assured that the government and people of Japan are ready to continue supporting journalists in Ukraine to effectively fulfill their professional duties without interfering with the professional activities of media workers.

Journalists’ Solidarity Centers are an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists and UNESCO. The initiative is aimed at helping media representatives working in Ukraine during the war. The centers operate in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro and provide journalists with organizational, technical, legal, psychological, and other types of assistance.

About UNESCO. UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication, and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding. It is the coordinator of the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, thus strengthening peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. UNESCO is working closely with its partner organizations in Ukraine to provide support to journalists on the ground. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this digest do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts in this digest and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit to the Organization.

NUJU Information Service