Nancy Dubuc Praises Vice Staff In Ukraine For “Brave & Human Coverage”, Takes Aim At Traditional News Outlets

Vice boss Nancy Dubuc has praised her colleagues in the field in Ukraine as bombing continues in the capital Kyiv, while taking a swipe at traditional news coverage.

This comes as the youth-skewing media company is prepping a special episode of Vice News Tonight on the developing invasion of the country as well as a documentary fronted by Sean Penn.

“Near the end of 2021 I wrote to you how I have long believed that one of the most special things about Vice Media is the human element, and the way it weaves itself into every fiber of what we create and contribute to our global communities,” Dubuc wrote in an internal memo to staff seen by Deadline. “This rings true, more than ever, with the unparalleled, brave and – most of all – human coverage of the events leading up to and throughout the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Government this week.”

She added, “All too often, global conflicts are spun into narratives by traditional news outlets that shy away from humanity, the stories and experiences of those living through these events in real time. But not Vice.”

The former A+E Networks exec went on to highlight Vice’s coverage including Hind Hassan’s coverage of Ukrainian soldiers preparing for at the time what felt like an imminent invasion, first hand interviews of how Russian citizens felt about the Ukraine Conflict, and a collection of photos showcasing anti war protests in solidarity with Ukraine around the globe.

She noted that its coverage on TikTok had garnered more than 100M views.

All of this comes as Vice TV will air Invasion of Ukraine, a special that will provide context of the conflict from all angles with Matthew Cassel reporting from Kyiv, Alec Luhn reporting from Moscow, and Liz Landers reporting from D.C., as well as Hind Hassan providing context from her previous reporting on the frontlines and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The special, which will premiere at 11am ET, will also air on YouTube.

Separately, Penn is in the country filming a documentary from Vice Studios in association with Vice World News and Endeavor Content.

“The importance of human connection in these moments cannot go overstated,” Dubuc added.