Lviv Media Forum

Your reflections, messages, and posts after LMF 2026 have been truly energizing for us to read — thank you for continuing to share this experience 🧡 As we begin summing up this year’s conference, here is what LMF 2026 looked like in numbers: 🔸700+ participants from 36 countries; 🔸 2 parallel streams: Frankly Spoken and Smartly Done and Side events Program; 🔸 20+ discussions, public interviews, and podcasts; 🔸 80+ speakers. 📌 We’re announcing the dates of the next LMF — May 13–15, 2027! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing materials, highlights, notes, and interviews from #LMF2026 — so stay tuned. Photo: Iryna Sereda, Nastia Telikova.

“Ukrainians continue to remain united in their understanding of who the enemy is, who the friend is, what our identity is, and what — and whom — we must fight against,” said Andrii Yusov, Representative for Strategic Communications of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. A recording of the conversation that took place during LMF 2026 has been published on Yarema Dukh’s YouTube channel (available in Ukrainian with English subtitles) https://lnkd.in/dT2pPhqW Photo: Nastya Telikova.

May 16–20 marks four years since the Mariupol garrison, which heroically defended Azovstal, was ordered to lay down its arms and enter captivity in order to save the lives of its servicemen. On May 15, 2026, another prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place. 205 Ukrainians returned home, including defenders of Azovstal. At the same time, we remember that the majority of Mariupol’s defenders are still being held in Russian captivity. We call on all democratic countries, international organizations, and the international community to help secure the return of all Ukrainian prisoners of war. Freedom for the defenders of Mariupol. Freedom for all Ukrainian prisoners.

The secret ingredient that makes in-person conferences better than online calls is, of course, networking. These days were filled with hugs from old friends, conversations over coffee and delicious cookies, and exciting new connections. 👉 In this carousel, we’ve captured some highlights from first two unforgettable days of the conference.

Ukrainian journalist, human rights advocate, and war veteran Maksym Butkevych delivered a speech at Lviv Media Forum 2026 ⚡️ In this carousel, we’ve gathered some of the key quotes from his speech. You can read the full text on our website via the link in our stories and bio. From May 14–16, Lviv is hosting Ukrainian and international professionals from the media, research, policy, and civil society sectors. This year’s theme, “Reality Under Attack: Flight, Freeze or Fight?”, explores how truth is being challenged — and how it can be protected. Follow Lviv Media Forum’s platforms for more conference updates. Soon, we’ll be sharing key takeaways, highlights, and session recaps from the events.

LMF 2026 is organized by the team of the NGO Lviv Media Forum. We would like to express our gratitude to our partners for supporting the conference. Strategic partners: National Endowment for Democracy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (Taiwan), Radio Taiwan International. Event Partners: DW Akademie, Deutsche Welle, funded by the European Union and co-funded by BMZ; Government of Canada, The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), Embassy of Sweden, IMS (International Media Support). Allies & Contributing Partners: Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), The Fritt Ord Foundation, National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), UNESCO and the People of Japan, ARTICLE 19, INDEX: Institute for Documentation and Exchange, Jam Factory Art Center, Donbas Media Forum, Coalition of culture actors, LEMKIN Society, The Reckoning Project, EU4Recovery, Recovery Window, George Gongadze Prize, Transatlantic Dialogue Center, Public Interest Journalism Lab, RITO Group, Krayna, Dukachi Media Partners: Ukrainer, The Kyiv Independent, Deník N, Coda Story, Aftenposten, United24 Media, Euromaidan Press,  Ukrainska Pravda, Rubryka, Hromadske radio, The Ukrainians, 24 Channel, Suspilne, Suspilne Culture, Babel, The Gaze, Nakypilo, Seznam Spravy Digital Partners: n-ost, The Fix, UA TV, Silicon Curtain, ShoTam, ua.news, Live Media Hub, Craft, Radio Nakypilo, Nakypilo Osvita, ZEG Festival, UATV English. Cultural Partners: Lvivska Poshtа, LiRoom, Memorial Platform.

LMF 2026 is officially underway 📣 From May 14–16 in Lviv, this year’s conference brings together Ukrainian and international media professionals, researchers, public intellectuals, and civic leaders around the theme: “Reality Under Attack: Flight, Freeze, or Fight?” Over the next three days, we’ll discuss the challenges facing media and democracy in times of war and global uncertainty. Follow our upcoming posts — we’ll be sharing key insights and highlights from the discussions. Some of the panels will also be streamed on our Facebook page. You can find all streamed sessions marked as “streaming” in the conference program on our website via the link in bio. The video was directed and created by Uliana Vovk. #LMF2026

Join us for the discussion “From Informating to Sensemaking: How Public Media Guide Societies in the Eye of the Storm”. 🗓️ 15 May, 10:00–11:00 As societies face escalating external threats, hybrid warfare, and growing polarization, what role should public broadcasters play? This session will explore how public media defend democratic values while balancing editorial independence, national security concerns, financial pressure, and the responsibility of mission-driven journalism. About the participants: 🔸 Mariya Frey, Senior executive at Суспільне Мовлення 🔸 Chris Liu, Vice President of Radio Taiwan International 🔸 Tamar Kintsurashvili, Executive Director and co-founder of the Media Development Foundation (MDF), Georgia Moderator: Christian-Zsolt Varga, German-Hungarian Freelance Journalist Covering Ukraine, Hungary, and Eastern Europe The discussion is organized in partnership with Embassy of Sweden in Kyiv and IMS (International Media Support). Explore the full conference program via the link: https://lnkd.in/d6SzPxg3. From 14–16 May, will bring together will bring together Ukrainian and international media professionals working across borders — journalists, researchers, policymakers, communications experts, public intellectuals, and representatives of civil society and international organizations. This year’s theme is “Reality Under Attack: Flight, Freeze, or Fight?” See you at #LMF2026

Registration for LMF 2026 has officially wrapped up, but you can still be part of the experience from anywhere. We’ll be streaming a selection of sessions live — you can find the program in the carousel 👉 Tune in via the Lviv Media Forum Facebook page to watch the broadcasts. You can also join the conference as an online participant and get access to the full program and livestreams. Participation requires a charitable donation to support the NGO Lviv Media Forum. For online access, the contribution equals 50% of the minimum donation set for in-person participation. Participation is free for active military and veterans. We’ll also keep you updated with key insights and standout quotes from across the program on Lviv Media Forum’s Twitter and Euromaidan Press.

As the ground beneath us becomes unstable, we turn to artistic and critical practices as tools for orientation. Discover the exhibition presented as part of the cultural program at LMF 2026 👇 When reality itself is under attack, we risk losing our sense of direction, wholeness, and solid ground beneath our feet. The effort to make sense of our existence in 2022 sparked a wave of creative energy that is still with us. It helps us keep searching for who we are in a new reality and invites others into this conversation. The exhibitions at LMF 2026 bring together three major moving-image projects that examine how war is mediated, rehearsed, and remembered, and how images of conflict can both mobilize empathy and anesthetize audiences. They speak directly to questions central to LMF: who frames “reality” in wartime, what we are asked to see, and what we should not have to witness. The exhibition program of LMF 2026 is realized and presented in partnership with Jam Factory Art Center, a multidisciplinary contemporary art institution in Lviv. #LMF2026