Ukraine’s independent press is the recipient of this year’s Golden Pen of Freedom, WAN-Ifra’s annual press freedom award.

It was announced during the opening ceremony of the 2025 World News Media Congress in Kraków, Poland, where delegates also learned that next year’s Congress will be held in Marseilles, France.

The award “recognises the immense sacrifices made by colleagues in the Ukrainian press since the 2022 Russian invasion, and pays tribute to their commitment, professionalism and dedication to upholding the highest standards – in wartime, as in peace.”

Accepting the award on behalf of media professionals across Ukraine, chief executive of regional publishers association AIRPU Oksana Brovko and Ukraine Media Business Association president Oleksii Pogorelov underlined the motivation that inspires the independent press to continue its work.

“We don’t write because we are brave – we write because silence is not an option,” said Brovko. “Independent journalism is not a luxury – it is the infrastructure of freedom.

“In Ukraine, we are keeping it alive under fire. This award is not a celebration, it is a responsibility - to keep speaking, especially when silence is safer.”

Pogorelov asked to convey the gratitude of those who work “in these extremely difficult times for their audiences, covering both pain and grief.

“Those who support the belief that Ukraine will pass the test and be a worthy member of the European and global community of independent countries, that are able to defend democratic values. Those who are having a hard time both morally and physically, but whose professional duty requires them to hold on and not show it.”

Announcing the award, Martha Ramos, editorial director of Organización Editorial Mexicana in Mexico and outgoing president of the World Editors Forum, praised Ukrainian colleagues, “who fully understand this is not a time to waver in our commitment to facts, purpose, and the values that define our democratic aspirations.

“This is a time to stand on the right side of history, to back truth, justice and the rule of law – in other words, to keep doing our job as journalists, despite it all.”

Delegates heard at least 16 journalists have been killed since the start of the war, and US policy reversals to halt funding to independent media have added “yet another layer of precarity”.

Some publications have gone from offering pure news to information on how residents can rebuild their communities left destroyed by the war. But most local and regional publications are operating with virtually no income and heavily rely on donations or help from non-profits. More than 300 independent media have closed since the start of the war – a figure that risks increasing.

“Your support, this recognition, are extremely important. It gives us strength. It confirms that Ukrainian media professionals are not alone. And, of course, you motivate us to continue doing our job and working for Ukrainians. Together, we will win!” affirmed Pogorelov.

• Next year’s World News Media Congress will be held in Marseilles, France, from June 1-3, co-hosted by French media group CMA Media. The historic return to France comes more than 30 years after it was held in Paris in 1995.

Created in 2023, CMA Media has become the leading private newsroom in France, uniting prominent print titles (La Provence, Corse Matin, La Tribune, La Tribune Dimanche) with major audiovisual outlets such as BFM TV and RMC Radio. The choice of Marseille also reflects CMA Media’s deep connection to the city, headquarters of La Provence and home to its Grand Central hub.

The return to France – “where it all began nearly 80 years ago” – is also significant for WAN-Ifra, with chief executive Vincent Peyrègne “particularly excited” about the choice of Marseilles, “a cradle of Mediterranean civilisation”.

He said CMA Media was a diversified media group with a strong commitment to innovation, backed by a new generation of committed media owners determined to meet the challenges of news and journalism in the 21st century.

“As every year, I see this as a strong and meaningful statement for the Congress and the promise of a congress that will make history. I’m excited to welcome the international press to this wonderful region of Provence.”

Pictured (top, from left): Martha Ramos, Oleksii Pogorelov and Oksana Brovko; and (below) a delegation of journalists receives the Golden Pen of Freedom on behalf of Ukrainian colleagues (Photo: Sobczyński Film)