Entries have opened for the Donbas Media Forum, an annual conference that brings together journalists and media managers from Ukraine and the world, providing an opportunity to discuss current issues of the profession.
The Donbas Media Forum returns as a national focal point for Ukraine’s journalism community and holds from October 9 to 11, 2025, convening journalists, editors and media managers to confront the twin challenges of reporting in wartime and navigating a global landscape of misinformation. This year’s theme, “Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom of Lies,” will feature panels, workshops and screenings that explore how Ukrainian media defend democratic values and sustain public trust under pressure.
Founded in 2015 by DII-Ukraine, the Forum was created by journalists for journalists to support teams displaced and disrupted by the war in eastern Ukraine. Since its inception, the Forum has been hosted in Kyiv, Mariupol, Sviatohirsk, and Kharkiv, and like many international gatherings, it has adapted to hybrid formats during the pandemic. However, the 2025 edition builds on that history while expanding the Forum’s reach.
For the first time, the organising committee will present the Forum as a national platform, bringing together Ukrainian media partners who, because of the ongoing crisis, are unable to stage their own events. According to Lyubov Rakovytsia, Head of the organising committee, the format is intended to strengthen solidarity across the media community and create space for open, large-scale discussion of complex information-era challenges.
Last year’s Forum drew a record participation of 857 attendees, 189 speakers, 47 events, and nine documentary screenings, reflecting the conference’s growing role as a hub for exchange, training and strategic debate about the future of Ukrainian journalism during wartime. The 2025 anniversary edition aims to scale those conversations further, welcoming journalists, researchers and media experts to examine the realities of reporting in an era of disinformation and geopolitical upheaval.
Travel grants are available through a competitive selection process, with priority given to regional media from Eastern and Southern Ukraine. Grant recipients are expected to attend at least 80% of the Forum’s events across the three days.
For more information and to apply, please visit: https://dmf.dn.ua/.
