“Yellow” and “red” zones: Chernivtsi media workers learned about the rules of work in war zones

Accredited journalists can work unaccompanied in public places in the “yellow” zone. This is stated in Order 51 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) dated February 3, 2024.

According to the changes, accredited media representatives are allowed to work unaccompanied in public places in the “yellow” zone, to which the civilian population has free access, within the limits of the route agreed by the commander of the troop group, the head of the Chernivtsi regional press service told local media representatives in Chernivtsi Recruitment Service and AFU Captain, Tetiana Popovych.

“During the full-scale war, many things changed, and we gained some experience. However, the main principles of the work of journalists on the front lines remain constant: not to harm either our military or ourselves. We have no right to neglect bulletproof vests and helmets, which somewhat hinder work, but at any moment can become a lifesaver,” says Tetiana Popovych.

The work of certain accredited representatives of the media in the “red” zone can be allowed only when accompanied by relevant officials as an exception: “for the purpose of objectively informing the population and the world community about war crimes committed by the russian federation, at the request of the Ministry of Defense or the General Staff of the AFU, the Commander-in-Chief AFU or the relevant commander (commander) of the troop group.”

When working in the “red” zone, media representatives are obliged to provide the collected photo and video materials for checking for the presence of information with limited access, as well as to agree on their distribution and publication with the responsible official.

It is worth noting that according to Appendix 4 of the Order, the AFU and other components of the defense forces are not responsible “for the safety, life, and health, provision of return, as well as issues of life, health and property insurance of public persons, in the opinion which the public listens to (opinion leaders, bloggers, etc.),” so, the accredited media representative is personally responsible for this.

Among the changes related to the accreditation of journalists, its terms have been changed. Now, it can be valid for up to 12 months.

The Department of Public Relations of the AFU organizes accreditation, during which it:

• carries out verification of the person’s affiliation to the subject in the field of media;
• sends a submission to a representative of the Security Service of Ukraine to obtain a relevant opinion;
• keeps records of issued press cards and information provided by media representatives for accreditation;
• decides on the granting (cancellation or suspension) of accreditation to a media representative;
• notifies media representatives about accreditation results;
• provides access to the list of accredited media representatives, upon appropriate request, to representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Migration Service of Ukraine, and the State Guard of Ukraine.

Call the Western Ukrainian JSC of Lviv-Chernivtsi at 097 907 9702 (Nataliya Voitovych, the Lviv JSC coordinator, and Volodymyr Bober, an assistant). The Center’s address is 5 Solomiyi Krushelnytskoyi Street.

ABOUT JSC

The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers is an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists and UNESCO. The initiative is designated to help 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 contained in this digest and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit to the organization.

Western Ukrainian JSC