Valeriya Yegoshyna Accepts ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award

Valeriya Yegoshyna is an intrepid investigative reporter documenting the impact of Russia's war on her native Ukraine. Yegoshyna, who is the winner of the ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award, delivered the following remarks on Nov. 14 at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, at the ICFJ Tribute to Journalists 2024.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be here.

Not many Ukrainian journalists have this privilege now.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has committed 664 crimes against journalists in Ukraine, including murders, threats, shelling of media outlets, cyber-attacks, legal pressure and more.

During this period, 91 media workers were killed. Among them is the producer and journalist of Radio Liberty, our own Vira Hyrych, she was killed by a Russian missile. 29 journalists are being held in violation of international law. Among them is our journalist Vladislav Yesypenko, who is serving a 5-year sentence in a Russian prison.

More than 100 journalists were injured while covering the frontline. Among them are Marian Kushnir, Roman Pahulych, and Dmytro Yevchyn, who nearly bled to death.

The names I mention are from just one newsroom - the Ukrainian service of Radio Liberty, where I work.

A few months ago, I was asked to speak about journalism at a youth festival. Before I could even answer, the 20-year-old girl who invited me was killed by a Russian missile, along with her mother and two little sisters. The festival became a Memorial.

So for me, the war in Ukraine is not only about what we have lost. It is also about what we will never achieve in the future.

Still, we have the power to speak and to be heard. People often ask me if I feel threatened as a journalist. And I always wonder what kind of threat they are talking about. Is it the threat from angry corrupt officials we have been investigating for years, or from Russia, its FSB or its missiles? Is it the threats on the Internet or the threat of not waking up tomorrow?

Really, it is all of the above.

Before the war that started in 2014, journalism for me was a way of learning about the world and a way of life. Now journalism is equal to life for me. Journalism in Ukraine is a fight for life - for your life and the life of the country.

In these times, journalism is a way to avoid surrendering to fear, to be a participant in events, a driver of change and a real source of information, as well as a voice for the victims of war.

We live by the news we make. News about events on the frontline, and in so-called peaceful cities.

We live by interviews. With those who have lost hope and those who inspire it.

We live by reports. About people, about battles, about cities that are being rebuilt and those that simply no longer exist.

And we live by investigating war crimes with our team called Schemes. Nobody ever taught us how to do this before. And we live by investigating corruption, because we are not only a country at war, but also a country that chose the path of democracy.

So while we are fighting here and now, as journalists, citizens and humans we must also strive to build a decent future. Even if not everyone can see it.

I am grateful to the international community for focusing on Ukraine. I hope that this support will never end.

I thank my editors and all my colleagues who made this award possible.

And special thanks to my family. The last thing I did before I came to the stage? I checked to make sure my mom was safe. About an hour ago, there was shelling in Odessa, where my mother lives. Just an hour ago, while we were sitting here. Now, Odessa is on fire.

Thank you.