Role of media in rebuilding Ukraine to be discussed at URC-2025 for the first time

On Friday, 11 July, in Rome (Italy), the Ukraine Recovery Conference-2025 will host a side event "Strong Media, Transparent Recovery: How Journalism Builds Ukraine’s Future" about the role of independent Ukrainian media in recovery, democratic transformation and building public trust.

The event aims to identify effective strategies to support quality and ethical media. The event will also help build partnerships between media, donors, government and academia to make strong media the foundation of Ukraine's recovery.

Date & Time: July 11, 2025 (10:00 – 12:30)

Location: Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 26/C, Rome, Italy

Event Language: English

Programme

• 10:00–10:30 Registration and Welcome Coffee
• 10:30–12:00 Main Session: Strong Media, Transparent Recovery
• 12:00–12:30 Reflection and Commitments, Networking

Moderator:

• Oksana Romaniuk – Director, Institute of Mass Information

Speakers

• Katarina Mathernova – EU Ambassador to Ukraine  (TBC)
• Andrea Cairola – Chief of Section, Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, UNESCO;
• Anastasia Rudenko – Director, Recovery Window Media Network
• Yulia Napolska – Production Director, Nakypilo (Kharkiv)
• Pauline Maufrais – RSF Ukraine Area Manager
• Dr. Gillian McCormack –Ukraine Country Director, Internews International
• Oleh Dereniuha – CEO MykVisti (Mykolaiv)

We kindly ask media representatives and guests of the event to register here.

Organizing partners: Ukrainian non-governmental media organization Institute of Mass Information, Recovery Window Media Network in partnership with UNESCO, Delegation of the EU to Ukraine, Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 

For more information. The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) is a Ukrainian non-governmental media organization that has been operating since 1996. The IMI defends the rights of journalists, analyzes the media field and covers media-related events, fights propaganda and disinformation and has been providing media outlets with safety gear for trips to the combat zone since the start of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014.

The IMI carries out Ukraine's only freedom of speech monitoring and keeps a list of high quality and sustainable online media outlets, documents Russia's crimes against the media committed in the course of the war on Ukraine. The IMI has representatives in 20 oblasts of Ukraine and a network of "Mediabaza" hubs to provide journalists with continuous support. The IMI's partners include Reporters Without Borders, and the organization is also a member of the International Organization for the Protection of Freedom of Expression (IFEX).