A project about Ukrainian journalists whose personal dreams and professional missions were reshaped — but not erased — by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

What drives a journalist before the headlines of war take over?

For many of the voices featured in our upcoming exhibition The Only Material, the answer was once clear: to report on the environment, science, justice, or gender equality. But in the face of war, these original motivations transformed. This exhibition invites you into the personal journeys of Ukrainian journalists who never set out to cover war, yet found themselves documenting history as it unfolded.

Organised by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, as part of the Voices of Ukraine support programme, and hosted by the Museum for Communication, Berlin The Only Material explores how journalists adapt, resist, and endure under the pressure of war. Through testimonies and photography, the exhibition offers a rare glimpse behind the headlines—into the resilience, quiet defiance, and hope that shape their work without losing sight of truth and dignity.

Discover the voices behind the headlines

Location: Museum for Communication, Leipziger Str. 16, 10117 Berlin
Opening Event: 26 June 2025
Exhibition Runs: 27 June – 20 July 2025

We are delighted to welcome you to the opening of The Only Material. Hear directly from the journalists featured in the exhibition and meet the people behind the project, as we come together to reflect on the role of storytelling in times of war.

Please note that capacity for the opening is limited to 250 guests, and registration is required.

If you can’t attend the opening, the exhibition remains open to the public from 27 June 2025 to 20 July 2025 at Museum for Communication, Berlin. Come by and spend time with these powerful stories.

Disclaimer: 

All journalists whose stories are featured in The Only Material project are supported by the Voices of Ukraine programme.

The Voices of Ukraine support programme, implemented by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), is part of the Hannah Arendt Initiative and is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. It provides support to journalists in eight areas and is implemented in collaboration with the Public Interest Journalism Lab, The Fix Media Foundation, the Association of Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine, the Lviv Media Forum, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, and the Women in Media. ECPMF thanks its partners for their support in implementing the programme and assisting with the exhibition.

The views and content expressed in the project and its accompanying materials are those of the individual journalists and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the German Federal Foreign Office or any of the programme’s partner organisations.