IABM Launches Collective Support Platform To Coordinate Industry Response To Invasion Of Ukraine

IABM said today it “stands with many in deploring the totally unjustifiable, senseless and brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Alongside his ruthless military assault, Putin is employing media technology to support his disinformation campaign while silencing those who would tell the truth.”

Peter White, the association’s CEO, said: “We have already taken what steps we can and most importantly, at the request of a number of our members, we are creating a platform for our members who are like minded in their damnation of this illegal act.

“It is IABM’s aim to act as a facilitator and catalyst, coordinating our supportive members’ voluntary statements about their stance on the conflict and their pledges to ban shipments and support to Russia during this difficult time. In addition, and as a parallel initiative, we will publish a ‘live’ statement of members who have pledged financial support to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

“Through this page and though all our communication channels we will consolidate actions and opinions of those organizations in our large global membership who want to stand together for Ukraine. In so doing we hope we can harness a powerful collective voice that clearly demonstrates the actions taken both against Russia and for Ukraine to help relieve the humanitarian crisis that is rapidly unfolding across Europe,” White concluded.

IABM members can find Stand with Ukraine platform here, where they can pledge their support and see what other companies have said. The page also includes links to suggested humanitarian aid organizations that are working hard to support work on the ground in Ukraine itself and the surrounding countries that are willingly absorbing the flood of refugees.

Ross Video CEO, David Ross, said when suggesting that IABM could create this forum, “I’m confident that many companies would like to take a public stand in the face of true tyranny that is openly threatening Europe and a regime that is now likely guilty of crimes against humanity. This is especially true since our equipment and software is enabling the Russian propaganda machine, and IABM is the best organization to coordinate those who want to make a statement similar to what Ross Video has made. I’m fully aware that being in the media industry, our tools are always used to promote a wide range of ideas which inevitably will not align with our own personal beliefs. That’s normal, we sell typewriters, not content as it were. This isn’t about differing ideas; this is about doing what we can to hinder naked aggression towards a European democracy.”