May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. Created by the UN in 1993 to honor the principles of a free press, it is a reminder to governments of their commitment to press freedom.
Independent journalism is essential for peace, accountability, and human rights — and yet it is in serious decline. According to UNESCO's World Trends Report, the current threat to press freedom is as serious as in the most unstable periods of the 20th century. In Ukraine alone, attacks and threats against journalists surged in 2025, and 160 cases have been recorded already this year. Since 2022 Russia has committed over 900 crimes against media workers in Ukraine. Journalists covering the war have faced constant dangers, including drone strikes, artillery fire, and abductions.
When reliable information disappears, the vacuum is filled by manipulation — and democracy itself is put at risk.
At the Kyiv Independent Store we helped raise just over $24,000 from April 21 to May 5, 2026, through our "No News is Bad News" campaign. Together with our supporters, we enabled the Institute of Mass Information — a Kyiv-based organization that defends press freedom and supports journalists' rights and safety — to purchase 26 drone detectors to help protect independent regional journalists reporting from the front line.
