Ukrainian journalistic organizations sound the alarm. New media law signed by President Zelensky threatens media freedom. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) call on the European Commission and the Council of Europe to convince the Ukrainian authorities to revise the law in consultation with journalistic organizations and the media.
The representative trade unions of Ukrainian journalists, NUJU and IMTUU, denounce many problematic provisions, starting with the political dependence of the state regulator and expanding the range of extrajudicial sanctions against the media.
On December 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a controversial bill that would expand the government's power to regulate the media.. The new law allows the state media regulator, the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council (NTRBC), to regulate print and online media, as well as the Internet, television, radio and online platforms such as YouTube and social media.. It also gives the state media regulator the power to fine media outlets, revoke their licenses, and temporarily block certain publications without a court order (the state regulator has the right to block access to an unregistered publication without a court decision for up to two weeks).
NTRBC is a constitutional body. Half of its members are appointed by the president and half by the parliament, which is controlled by a pro-presidential majority.. The state media regulator clearly falls under the total control of the Ukrainian authorities.
“We welcome the implementation of the EU Audiovisual Directive, which is included in the new law,” said NUJU President Serhiy Tomilenko. “And we also welcome the modernization of Ukrainian media legislation. But at the same time, the authorities should conduct a broad dialogue with journalists and the real media sector when introducing new rules.. In the past, Ukrainian journalists have always been the driving force behind new media laws, as they saw them as a tool to protect freedom of speech and the profession. Currently, we do not see active supporters of the law among journalists. Rather, it is a law that aims to strengthen state regulation of the media.”.
“Ukrainian officials, through the media controlled by them, launched a campaign to discredit those who constructively criticize certain provisions of the law, instead of working on the shortcomings of the law and initiating the necessary dialogue with the professional sector,” added Serhiy Shturkhetsky, President of IMTUU..
“This makes us fear what awaits us after the full implementation of the law: officials will declare those who do not agree with their vision as enemies of the country or foreign agents.. Such a prospect of state and political regulation of the media is in complete contradiction with the desire of Ukrainian civil society for European integration”.
“A state regulator with such sanctioning powers, even without going through the courts, cannot be under the full control of the government,” said EFJ President Maya Sever..
“The unions of journalists did not consult on the latest version of the law. We call on the European Commission and the Council of Europe to persuade the Ukrainian authorities to enter into dialogue with journalistic and media organizations. The duty of solidarity with Ukrainians in the face of the Russian aggressor should not prevent us from criticizing legal norms that threaten freedom of the press and the right of citizens to have access to reliable, pluralistic and independent information.”.
IFJ President Dominic Pradali said: “Media freedom and pluralism in Ukraine are under threat from a new media law that could create systemic problems for democracy in the country as it expands state control over the media..
For Ukrainians suffering from a terrible war, it is very important to be able to rely on reliable information.”.
“IFJ, along with its affiliates, NUJU and IMTUU, has already called on the government of Ukraine to review the new law. Today we join the EFJ and ask the European institutions to convince the Ukrainian authorities to reform the legislation and start a broad and inclusive dialogue with the unions of journalists and the media sector. We must remember that there can be no democracy without independent journalism and a free press,” Pradali added..