Deputy chief editor at @kyivindependent. Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2022. Support us here: https://nitter.cf/t.co/VeKDO4ovRR
Kyiv
Joined April 2011
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Toma Istomina retweeted
I prefer not to weigh in on the original issue as I think there is nothing left to say.
However it’s disturbing to watch supposed Ukraine supporters harass and attack Ukrainian journalists this way, regardless of what happened.
I have spoken to multiple journalists at the Kyiv Independent and all of them were professional and kind. They are doing a difficult job covering stories that sometimes no one else can and going to dangerous places to do it.
If you are unbombed and sitting on the Internet yelling at them, you lost the plot.
Since a few Kyiv Independent readers have asked, I’d like to explain what happened with Caolan Robertson’s video, out of respect for our supporters.
Our team found that a video on Caolan’s @CaolanReports YouTube channel included a fragment of an earlier Kyiv Independent video, used without permission and without a request for permission. It wasn’t just footage. It was an animated map that takes our team a lot of work to produce.
Importantly, Caolan’s video cropped out our logo from the fragment. Instead of crediting our work, it fully removed the attribution to the Kyiv Independent. That isn’t citation or fair use.
Our team member did what is standard when your content is used this way on YouTube: They filed a copyright report. YouTube reviewed the case and removed the video. We follow the same process whenever our work is used without permission, regardless of who the creator is.
Worth noting that a removal like this doesn’t kill the creator’s work: The video can simply be re-uploaded without the copyrighted material.
So I was surprised that Caolan instead chose to publicly attack the journalists whose work he lifted, and to appeal to journalistic solidarity in a case where he didn’t demonstrate any.
Our team has been reporting on the ground in Ukraine since before the full-scale invasion. We’re independent, funded mostly by our readers, and we earn every dime. We’re very proud of our work, from front-line reporting to war crimes investigations. We respect the work of other journalists and expect the same for ours.
I wish Caolan all the best in telling his audience about Ukraine. If he ever wants to use our work, he’s welcome to ask, like anyone else.
We are all on the same side when it comes to this: We want as many voices as possible telling the world about Ukraine. But being on the same side means respecting and crediting each other’s work. Credit matters because the reporting everyone draws on has to come from somewhere.
Thank you.
For those who missed it – Caolan apologized for lifting our content. Here's our reaction.
I’ve seen Caolan Robertson’s response, where he acknowledges lifting our video. He blames it on his editor but ultimately takes responsibility.
It’s always good to see people own their mistakes, it makes this space better for everyone. I appreciate it and accept his apology.
The five seconds of video is easy to dismiss, but five seconds of an animated map takes hours of work — research from a journalist and manual work from a videographer and a graphic designer. Our video team is small but we do our best to make sure our video reporting is well researched and properly sourced.
Caolan @CaolanReports says he wants to learn from this and improve his practices. I think that’s the right call, especially since other journalists have spoken out about past cases where Caolan used their work without credit. Hopefully, this will be the push to review those practices. It would help to look into the video’s origin before launching a public attack, too.
As for further steps.
Caolan says he emailed us to resolve it. We have checked our inboxes, including organization’s and my own, and found no messages from him. He is very welcome to reach me or the team directly. A private conversation is always more effective.
On the copyright claim. Yesterday, Caolan filed an appeal to our claim with Youtube, which automatically blocks our right to retract the claim while the appeal is being considered.
That said, we decided we will not contest his appeal or take legal action about the copyright infringement. If we don’t participate, YouTube will likely remove the strike from his channel. We made this decision because Caolan acknowledged his mistake and pledged to improve.
I hope this ends it and we can all move on and focus on our actual work: bringing truthful reporting from Ukraine to the world.
Toma Istomina retweeted
I’ve seen Caolan Robertson’s response, where he acknowledges lifting our video. He blames it on his editor but ultimately takes responsibility.
It’s always good to see people own their mistakes, it makes this space better for everyone. I appreciate it and accept his apology.
The five seconds of video is easy to dismiss, but five seconds of an animated map takes hours of work — research from a journalist and manual work from a videographer and a graphic designer. Our video team is small but we do our best to make sure our video reporting is well researched and properly sourced.
Caolan @CaolanReports says he wants to learn from this and improve his practices. I think that’s the right call, especially since other journalists have spoken out about past cases where Caolan used their work without credit. Hopefully, this will be the push to review those practices. It would help to look into the video’s origin before launching a public attack, too.
As for further steps.
Caolan says he emailed us to resolve it. We have checked our inboxes, including organization’s and my own, and found no messages from him. He is very welcome to reach me or the team directly. A private conversation is always more effective.
On the copyright claim. Yesterday, Caolan filed an appeal to our claim with Youtube, which automatically blocks our right to retract the claim while the appeal is being considered.
That said, we decided we will not contest his appeal or take legal action about the copyright infringement. If we don’t participate, YouTube will likely remove the strike from his channel. We made this decision because Caolan acknowledged his mistake and pledged to improve.
I hope this ends it and we can all move on and focus on our actual work: bringing truthful reporting from Ukraine to the world.
Toma Istomina retweeted
This unpleasant incident prompts me to recall an earlier episode when @CaolanReports took credit for other journalists' work.
This July, he published a documentary about the Irish Aughinish Alumina plant, which supplies the Russian war machine.
He claims in his promotional language that his video had a huge impact:
"Within days, the investigation moved from social media into local, national and international coverage. Ministers were questioned. European officials became involved. A refinery that very few people had heard of suddenly became the centre of a major argument about Ireland, Russia, sanctions and the war in Ukraine."
However, all of this had happened before he published his investigation.
- The Irish PM had been questioned in March — four months earlier.
- Same with Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot calling for EU action.
- European Parliament VP Pina Picierno submitted a formal question to the Commission in May.
How is this possible? Because the original investigation on this plant, exposing its deliveries to Russia, had been published my colleagues at @OCCRP, the @IrishTimes, and @guardian on March 24. Caolan's video piggybacks on that reporting, with hardly any credit (he says he "saw a report in the Irish Times").
We're always happy when people popularize our reporting and take it forward. I haven't watched his documentary, but it's 40 minutes long and I'm sure it has a lot of valuable original reporting. Caolan is prolific and clearly good at what he does — that's why he has a huge audience. It's good he's helping tell Ukraine's story to the world.
But to behave like this, all while self-righteously accusing other journalists of breaching journalistic ethics, is galling.
This is not the first time that @CaolanReports disrespects the work of Ukrainian journalists by using their content without permission. And then tries to make them feel guilty for demanding to respect their work and copyright.
Toma Istomina retweeted
Taking somebody footage, not asking for permission or crediting them and then even cropping out the logo in the footage is outright stealing in my eyes. Good for The Kyiv Independent to stand their ground.
Since a few Kyiv Independent readers have asked, I’d like to explain what happened with Caolan Robertson’s video, out of respect for our supporters.
Our team found that a video on Caolan’s @CaolanReports YouTube channel included a fragment of an earlier Kyiv Independent video, used without permission and without a request for permission. It wasn’t just footage. It was an animated map that takes our team a lot of work to produce.
Importantly, Caolan’s video cropped out our logo from the fragment. Instead of crediting our work, it fully removed the attribution to the Kyiv Independent. That isn’t citation or fair use.
Our team member did what is standard when your content is used this way on YouTube: They filed a copyright report. YouTube reviewed the case and removed the video. We follow the same process whenever our work is used without permission, regardless of who the creator is.
Worth noting that a removal like this doesn’t kill the creator’s work: The video can simply be re-uploaded without the copyrighted material.
So I was surprised that Caolan instead chose to publicly attack the journalists whose work he lifted, and to appeal to journalistic solidarity in a case where he didn’t demonstrate any.
Our team has been reporting on the ground in Ukraine since before the full-scale invasion. We’re independent, funded mostly by our readers, and we earn every dime. We’re very proud of our work, from front-line reporting to war crimes investigations. We respect the work of other journalists and expect the same for ours.
I wish Caolan all the best in telling his audience about Ukraine. If he ever wants to use our work, he’s welcome to ask, like anyone else.
We are all on the same side when it comes to this: We want as many voices as possible telling the world about Ukraine. But being on the same side means respecting and crediting each other’s work. Credit matters because the reporting everyone draws on has to come from somewhere.
Thank you.
Toma Istomina retweeted
Not the first time he does something like this. He also used our Human Safari map without asking for permission and without giving any credits.
The excuse that the cause is so important that intellectual property doesn’t matter is a bonkers argument.
Since a few Kyiv Independent readers have asked, I’d like to explain what happened with Caolan Robertson’s video, out of respect for our supporters.
Our team found that a video on Caolan’s @CaolanReports YouTube channel included a fragment of an earlier Kyiv Independent video, used without permission and without a request for permission. It wasn’t just footage. It was an animated map that takes our team a lot of work to produce.
Importantly, Caolan’s video cropped out our logo from the fragment. Instead of crediting our work, it fully removed the attribution to the Kyiv Independent. That isn’t citation or fair use.
Our team member did what is standard when your content is used this way on YouTube: They filed a copyright report. YouTube reviewed the case and removed the video. We follow the same process whenever our work is used without permission, regardless of who the creator is.
Worth noting that a removal like this doesn’t kill the creator’s work: The video can simply be re-uploaded without the copyrighted material.
So I was surprised that Caolan instead chose to publicly attack the journalists whose work he lifted, and to appeal to journalistic solidarity in a case where he didn’t demonstrate any.
Our team has been reporting on the ground in Ukraine since before the full-scale invasion. We’re independent, funded mostly by our readers, and we earn every dime. We’re very proud of our work, from front-line reporting to war crimes investigations. We respect the work of other journalists and expect the same for ours.
I wish Caolan all the best in telling his audience about Ukraine. If he ever wants to use our work, he’s welcome to ask, like anyone else.
We are all on the same side when it comes to this: We want as many voices as possible telling the world about Ukraine. But being on the same side means respecting and crediting each other’s work. Credit matters because the reporting everyone draws on has to come from somewhere.
Thank you.
Toma Istomina retweeted
It is really not that hard to grasp. Someone took another person’s work, removed the logo and credits, and presented it as his own - not for the first time. Now there is a copyright strike. Funny how accountability suddenly becomes controversial when it finally catches up with someone.
The Kyiv Independent has been reporting on this war since day one, without turning it into a personal branding exercise. It has absolutely nothing to apologize for.
Caolan is an influencer/blogger, not a journalist. There is a difference, and this whole affair is a pretty good illustration of it. I hope The Kyiv Independent stands its ground.
And the only people who owe anyone an apology are those threatening The Kyiv Independent. The irony of people presenting themselves as Ukraine’s “supporters” attacking a media outlet that has been covering the war from the beginning is apparently lost on them. Some solidarity. Some support.
Since a few Kyiv Independent readers have asked, I’d like to explain what happened with Caolan Robertson’s video, out of respect for our supporters.
Our team found that a video on Caolan’s @CaolanReports YouTube channel included a fragment of an earlier Kyiv Independent video, used without permission and without a request for permission. It wasn’t just footage. It was an animated map that takes our team a lot of work to produce.
Importantly, Caolan’s video cropped out our logo from the fragment. Instead of crediting our work, it fully removed the attribution to the Kyiv Independent. That isn’t citation or fair use.
Our team member did what is standard when your content is used this way on YouTube: They filed a copyright report. YouTube reviewed the case and removed the video. We follow the same process whenever our work is used without permission, regardless of who the creator is.
Worth noting that a removal like this doesn’t kill the creator’s work: The video can simply be re-uploaded without the copyrighted material.
So I was surprised that Caolan instead chose to publicly attack the journalists whose work he lifted, and to appeal to journalistic solidarity in a case where he didn’t demonstrate any.
Our team has been reporting on the ground in Ukraine since before the full-scale invasion. We’re independent, funded mostly by our readers, and we earn every dime. We’re very proud of our work, from front-line reporting to war crimes investigations. We respect the work of other journalists and expect the same for ours.
I wish Caolan all the best in telling his audience about Ukraine. If he ever wants to use our work, he’s welcome to ask, like anyone else.
We are all on the same side when it comes to this: We want as many voices as possible telling the world about Ukraine. But being on the same side means respecting and crediting each other’s work. Credit matters because the reporting everyone draws on has to come from somewhere.
Thank you.
Toma Istomina retweeted
I still remember Joseph Haim disagreeing with a comment Caolan made about his work - and Caolan responded in turn by demeaning and belittling him for his Follower count (because that's the metric he obviously measures his success by), and generally being disrespectful and rude.
This is not the first time that @CaolanReports disrespects the work of Ukrainian journalists by using their content without permission. And then tries to make them feel guilty for demanding to respect their work and copyright.
Since a few Kyiv Independent readers have asked, I’d like to explain what happened with Caolan Robertson’s video, out of respect for our supporters.
Our team found that a video on Caolan’s @CaolanReports YouTube channel included a fragment of an earlier Kyiv Independent video, used without permission and without a request for permission. It wasn’t just footage. It was an animated map that takes our team a lot of work to produce.
Importantly, Caolan’s video cropped out our logo from the fragment. Instead of crediting our work, it fully removed the attribution to the Kyiv Independent. That isn’t citation or fair use.
Our team member did what is standard when your content is used this way on YouTube: They filed a copyright report. YouTube reviewed the case and removed the video. We follow the same process whenever our work is used without permission, regardless of who the creator is.
Worth noting that a removal like this doesn’t kill the creator’s work: The video can simply be re-uploaded without the copyrighted material.
So I was surprised that Caolan instead chose to publicly attack the journalists whose work he lifted, and to appeal to journalistic solidarity in a case where he didn’t demonstrate any.
Our team has been reporting on the ground in Ukraine since before the full-scale invasion. We’re independent, funded mostly by our readers, and we earn every dime. We’re very proud of our work, from front-line reporting to war crimes investigations. We respect the work of other journalists and expect the same for ours.
I wish Caolan all the best in telling his audience about Ukraine. If he ever wants to use our work, he’s welcome to ask, like anyone else.
We are all on the same side when it comes to this: We want as many voices as possible telling the world about Ukraine. But being on the same side means respecting and crediting each other’s work. Credit matters because the reporting everyone draws on has to come from somewhere.
Thank you.
Toma Istomina retweeted
I’m surprised they even have to justify their actions.
That journalist has already stolen some content from other people with no credit.
I get that both are playing for the same team but rules are rules.
Cropping the name of the journal from the animated map is crazy.
Since a few Kyiv Independent readers have asked, I’d like to explain what happened with Caolan Robertson’s video, out of respect for our supporters.
Our team found that a video on Caolan’s @CaolanReports YouTube channel included a fragment of an earlier Kyiv Independent video, used without permission and without a request for permission. It wasn’t just footage. It was an animated map that takes our team a lot of work to produce.
Importantly, Caolan’s video cropped out our logo from the fragment. Instead of crediting our work, it fully removed the attribution to the Kyiv Independent. That isn’t citation or fair use.
Our team member did what is standard when your content is used this way on YouTube: They filed a copyright report. YouTube reviewed the case and removed the video. We follow the same process whenever our work is used without permission, regardless of who the creator is.
Worth noting that a removal like this doesn’t kill the creator’s work: The video can simply be re-uploaded without the copyrighted material.
So I was surprised that Caolan instead chose to publicly attack the journalists whose work he lifted, and to appeal to journalistic solidarity in a case where he didn’t demonstrate any.
Our team has been reporting on the ground in Ukraine since before the full-scale invasion. We’re independent, funded mostly by our readers, and we earn every dime. We’re very proud of our work, from front-line reporting to war crimes investigations. We respect the work of other journalists and expect the same for ours.
I wish Caolan all the best in telling his audience about Ukraine. If he ever wants to use our work, he’s welcome to ask, like anyone else.
We are all on the same side when it comes to this: We want as many voices as possible telling the world about Ukraine. But being on the same side means respecting and crediting each other’s work. Credit matters because the reporting everyone draws on has to come from somewhere.
Thank you.
Toma Istomina retweeted
Since a few Kyiv Independent readers have asked, I’d like to explain what happened with Caolan Robertson’s video, out of respect for our supporters.
Our team found that a video on Caolan’s @CaolanReports YouTube channel included a fragment of an earlier Kyiv Independent video, used without permission and without a request for permission. It wasn’t just footage. It was an animated map that takes our team a lot of work to produce.
Importantly, Caolan’s video cropped out our logo from the fragment. Instead of crediting our work, it fully removed the attribution to the Kyiv Independent. That isn’t citation or fair use.
Our team member did what is standard when your content is used this way on YouTube: They filed a copyright report. YouTube reviewed the case and removed the video. We follow the same process whenever our work is used without permission, regardless of who the creator is.
Worth noting that a removal like this doesn’t kill the creator’s work: The video can simply be re-uploaded without the copyrighted material.
So I was surprised that Caolan instead chose to publicly attack the journalists whose work he lifted, and to appeal to journalistic solidarity in a case where he didn’t demonstrate any.
Our team has been reporting on the ground in Ukraine since before the full-scale invasion. We’re independent, funded mostly by our readers, and we earn every dime. We’re very proud of our work, from front-line reporting to war crimes investigations. We respect the work of other journalists and expect the same for ours.
I wish Caolan all the best in telling his audience about Ukraine. If he ever wants to use our work, he’s welcome to ask, like anyone else.
We are all on the same side when it comes to this: We want as many voices as possible telling the world about Ukraine. But being on the same side means respecting and crediting each other’s work. Credit matters because the reporting everyone draws on has to come from somewhere.
Thank you.
Toma Istomina retweeted
Just to be clear about what happened here:
- Trump cut a deal with Putin that will route ~$4B of American dollars to Russia. That money will be used to fund the war.
- Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" that was probably Putin's idea, surprised the Ukrainians, is structured to benefit Russia, and was immediately broken by the Russian military.
- When Zelensky spoke candidly about these terrible deals, the US cut off Starlink access in ways that made it harder for Ukraine to intercept Russian drones, and seemingly withheld intel about ballistic missile attacks.
- Last week alone, Russia killed more than 150 civilians in Ukraine, including 33 in one strike on a bus stop.
Trump is de facto asking @ZelenskyyUa to surrender. Zelensky can throw on a suit, he can endure lectures from whiny little bitches like @JDVance, but he can't lay down and die just because Trump wants the Nobel Peace Prize.
@KyivIndependent is coming to London and we'd love to see you there!
On Oct. 2, we’re hosting a storytelling night that will take you behind the scenes of wartime journalism in Ukraine. You’ll also have the chance to meet our team over drinks.
Tickets: lnkd.in/dQum29ik
Toma Istomina retweeted
It's out: my mini-documentary witnessing the fall of Viktor Orban and the dawn of a new age in my second home country of Hungary.
This one, a departure from my front-line coverage, means a lot to me. Sharing it far and wide will be much appreciated.
youtube.com/watch?v=RQodYkiL…
Toma Istomina retweeted
It was a pleasure to welcome @francisjfarrell and @TomaTomTommy from the @KyivIndependent at the @UKRinAUS today. Great to exchange views and discuss the vital role independent journalism plays in telling Ukraine’s story to the world.
Toma Istomina retweeted
Let's call it what it is: Good news.
Yes, searches and (coming) charges against Zelensky's chief ally are good news for Ukraine.
It doesn't "weaken" Ukraine in this critical time. It gives it a chance.
Andriy Yermak should never have led peace negotiations for Ukraine. Plenty has been written about him being incompetent and insufferable.
If he is now forced out, it's a welcome change and a chance for us to finally have competent people negotiating on our behalf.
There's another reason to celebrate. Think about it: A young democracy like Ukraine has independent institutions that are strong enough to investigate the most powerful man in the country – and to do so during the war. It has people who have the balls to do it – while facing pressure and threats. It has thousands of people who took to the streets this summer to defend the independence of anti-corruption investigators – today's events are a victory for those protesters, too.
People rooting for Ukraine around the world aren't rooting for a place on the map, but for a place living by certain values – and fighting for them. Today we see these values in action.
This shows why Ukraine is exactly the country worth supporting.
We don't rely on foreign oversight – we are building our own institutions that enforce accountability.
It is a triumph that has many enemies, and they will make the next move.
Toma Istomina retweeted
Furious at a tweet exposing right-wing manipulation of Ukraine issues, a right-wing figure promptly provides an example.
Toma Istomina retweeted
Pour la rédactrice en chef adjointe @TomaTomTommy du "Kiev Independent", l’agitation diplomatique des dernières semaines, initiée par Donald Trump, n’est rien d’autre que du "bruit", dont se sert la Russie pour gagner du temps.
➡️ l.lexpress.fr/YKQ
✍️ @BatGauthey
