The Bucha Journalism Conference is a joint event organized by the Media Development Foundation and the Ukrayinska Pravda media group.
This one-day conference serves as a platform for discussing the role of professional media in covering war crimes and human rights violations, as well as the ethical challenges journalists face during a full-scale war.
Bucha was chosen as the venue for the event because, in the spring of 2022, following the de-occupation of the Kyiv region, Ukrainian and international journalists witnessed Russian war crimes there.
The conference aims to preserve Ukraine’s historical memory and calls on media professionals worldwide to continue covering the events of those tragic days.
The inaugural conference focused on “The Role of Journalism in Times of War and Crisis.” Speakers discussed ethical standards in reporting and documenting war crimes, challenges faced by foreign media, and the impact of war on the media industry, including strategies for survival in such conditions.
In 2024, the central theme was “The Turning Point: Journalism and the Total War for Truth.” Media professionals continue to fight for the truth to promote justice and ensure that Russian atrocities are never repeated. At the same time, they face new challenges, including censorship, surveillance, pressure, and trauma.
In 2025, the theme of the event was “Truth Fatigue.”
Each year, the conference gathers 300 participants, including Ukrainian and foreign journalists, students from Ukrainian journalism schools, representatives of civil society, and international partners.
