Overview

⏱️Schedule:  Doors 18:30 → Talk 19:00→ Q&A → Mingle
🌐 Language: English

War journalism is not about being the closest to the explosion. It's about being close enough to the people — the civilians hiding in basements, the families separated at borders, the communities trying to hold together under bombardment — and honest enough to tell their story without looking away.

Since 2022, Dorina Achelaritei has been reporting from Ukraine: on the ground in Kharkiv and Kherson, documenting what war looks like when the cameras from bigger outlets have moved on. As a Romanian journalist, she brings a specific vantage point — from the borderlands, close enough to feel the weight of the conflict, clear-eyed enough to see the gap between what's happening and what's being said about it.

This talk is about what that work actually involves — and why it matters.

What we'll cover

• War journalism beyond the battlefield — why documenting civilian life, fear, displacement, and survival is at the core of the work
• The borderland perspective — reporting Ukraine's war from a regional proximity that is neither inside the conflict nor safely removed from it
• Memory as a journalistic duty — why documenting what happens in places like Kherson matters long after the news cycle has moved on
• Countering propaganda — the role of accurate reporting in pushing back against rumour, manipulation, and emotional distortion during conflict
• The human side of war — civilians, resilience, and the responsibility to report with empathy and dignity

Speaker

Dorina Achelaritei

Independent War Journalist & Co-founder — Mediterranea Berlin e.V.

Dorina Achelaritei is an independent journalist specialising in international politics and migration, with a focus on Türkiye and Eastern Europe. Since 2022, she has provided on-the-ground coverage of the conflict in Ukraine, reporting for outlets including Republica and Radio Romania. Alongside her journalism, she co-founded Mediterranea Berlin e.V. in 2020 and coordinates humanitarian missions in front-line cities, including Kharkiv and Kherson.