Help TV Rain Survive the Freeze

Hi, my name is Julia Ioffe.

On March 3, 2022, TV Rain, Russia's last independent TV news network, went dark. After invading Ukraine, the Russian government cracked down on what little was left of independent journalism in Russia, threatening people with 15 years in jail for any reporting on the war that deviates from the Kremlin's official line. TV Rain, which was founded as "the optimistic channel," was forced to shut down, after nearly 12 years of fighting to tell Russians the truth about their own country. Without TV Rain and other independent Russian media, average Russians don't know much about the war that Vladimir Putin is waging in their name. A majority of Russians support it in part because they don't know the truth.

Several dozen journalists from TV Rain were forced to flee Russia for their safety. Many of them are my friends. Many of them fled with their children and little else. They are now stranded in foreign countries, unable to access their bank accounts, and with no financial support. They are committed to recreating TV Rain and to inform their fellow citizens of what's really happening. But first, they need to survive, to make it through these next few months.

Because they are too embarrassed to ask for money when Ukrainians are suffering so acutely, I have decided to start a fundraiser on their behalf. If, after helping Ukrainians in need, you are feeling generous, if you feel strongly about good journalism and freedom of the press, if you want the Russian people to know the truth about the war, and if you want TV Rain to live to fight another day, I strongly encourage you to contribute. 100% of funds will go to the journalists of TV Rain to cover basic expenses while they figure out how to rebuild in a new and unfamiliar place.

Thank you,

Julia