Russian Union of Journalists urges journalists to thoroughly verify info, distance themselves from assessments of situation in Ukraine

MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) - The Russian Union of Journalists has urged its fellow journalists to scrupulously check information sources and refrain from making value judgments as much as possible when preparing materials on the situation in Ukraine.

"The priority charter task of the Russian Union of Journalists is the comprehensive protection of the industry and fellow journalists. We stand for the freedom to disseminate information! However, freedom, above all, implies responsibility. Therefore, we appeal once again to our colleagues to thoroughly verify their sources, especially when they are covering events somehow related to conflict situations," the Russia Union of Journalists secretariat said in a statement published on its website.

"In support of the Russian president and the country's leadership, we ask that you distance yourself from value judgments in your work and urge journalists, both in the country and abroad, to be more tolerant toward each other and show the journalistic solidarity that we all need so much today," the Russian Union of Journalists added.

"Today, we are all going through hard times," the statement said, noting that "a huge amount of unverified information is being disseminated via social media and Telegram channels," misleading users who cannot distinguish truth from disinformation.

"Today, more than ever, the whole society needs consolidation, mutual assistance and mutual support. This especially applies to refugees from the DPR, LPR [the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics] and Ukraine. The authorities, volunteers, and ordinary people who care about other people's pain are helping those, who ended up in a complicated situation and were forced to leave their homes. The Russian Union of Journalists is launching a charitable program to support and help refugees," it said.