Hot Media Sector News

Freedom of Speech

Journalists won: contradictory draft Law on Libeling was canceled by the Parliament’s voting

• October 2 – Journalists and media experts celebrated the victory in the advocacy campaign against the draft Law on Criminalization of Libeling: majority of MPs voted for cancellation of voting in the first reading on September 18. Within the advocacy campaign, numerous national and regional print media outlets published their weeklies with empty cover pages displaying only grids and a slogan “Protect your right for information”, http://ua.euronews.com/2012/09/27/ukraine-journalists-protest-libel/, http://www.telekritika.ua/daidzhest/2012-09-27/75428,http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-10-02/75551.  
• October 1 - About 300 journalists and activists gathered near the Parliament building demanding cancellation of the draft Law on Libeling at the meeting on October 2. Journalists menaced MPs that the voters will be informed about each MP who would not support the cancellation of the draft Law. The journalists also promised to announce a media strike if their requirements are not satisfied, http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-10-01/75519. Video is available athttp://video.telekritika.ua/show/no_comment/1187-zakon_zhuravskogo_primitivizm_tupizm_bred_marazm_i_povna_fignia_01.10.2012.

• October 2, Simferopol (Crimea) – About 60 Crimean journalists protested against the draft Law on Libeling near the building of the Permanent Representative of the President in Crimea with white posters in their hands. Rally participants signed a statement and passed it to the office of the President, http://investigator.org.ua/news/57853/.
• October 1 – According to the Advisor to the President Ms. Hanna Herman, Party of Regions decided to cancel the draft Law on Labeling on its meeting on October 16, 2012 without any discussions. President V.Yanukovych mentioned that the draft Law does not have any prospects and is harmful for Ukraine, http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-10-01/75533.
• October 1 - However, MP from Party of Regions Mr. Mykhailo Chechetov mentioned that Party of Regions will continue promoting the Draft Law on Libeling after 2012 Parliamentary Elections,http://www.telekritika.ua/daidzhest/2012-10-01/75520.
• September 27 – Most of national TV channels covered the protest against the draft Law on Libeling: empty cover pages of Ukrainian magazines and newspapers were demonstrated in news segments. First National channel concealed the fact of the protest, http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-09-27/75441.

Pressure, threats and attacks on journalists

• September 29 – General Prosecutor’s Office reported that in 2012 police investigated 112 criminal cases against journalists. 40 among them were open in 2012. 8 of them were classified as prevention of journalists from their professional work. Most of criminal investigations were classified as hooliganism without considering the sense of journalists’ activities,http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-09-29/75498, http://www.telekritika.ua/daidzhest/2012-10-01/75526.   
• September 28 – Police started a criminal investigation of the fact of beating a journalist of a TV program “Hroshi” (Money), channel “1+1”, Mr. Dmytro Volkov. The criminal case was classified as hooliganism because the connection of the incident to the professional journalist work was not proved.  However, Mr. Volkov insisted the police to recognize that he was beaten for his investigation of illegal land trade by local officials in Vyshhorod town, Kyiv suburb,http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-09-29/75497.
• September 27 – An unknown person called to newsroom of the city newspaper “Vechirnia Uman” (Evening Uman), Cherkasy region, and promised to beat a journalist Mr. Volodymyr Gamalytsia. The journalist connected the threat with his story “Dead people will make elections?” telling about inclusion of 28 unaware people into electoral commissions. The editorial filed a complaint to the police, http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-09-27/75453.
• September 27 – Weekly magazine “Ukrainskiy Tyzhden” (Ukrainian Week) informed that after WAN-IFRA congress the editorial experienced pressure because of a critical publication about media ownership and influence of Ukrainian oligarchs on media content. According to the weekly, GOU and related media conglomerates reinforced their efforts towards pushing “Ukrainskiy Tyzhden” (UT) out of media market. In particular, the International Airport Boryspil refused distributing the weekly in English among passengers. The letter about termination of cooperation with the weekly stated that the magazine includes critics of GOU. Earlier, the Ukrainian Media Holding Group (UMH) blocked the distribution of the UT issue containing the article on media ownership through the biggest retail distribution network that belongs to UMH. Such measures put the magazine in a vulnerable situation because of shortening an advertisement income. The magazine considers mentioned above actions of pro-governmental companies as a pressure on an international investor. “Ukrainskiy Tyzhden” was established by Austrian Company ECEM Media GmbH in 2007,http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-09-27/75432.

Professional standards and censorship

• September 27 – Media experts and representatives of 7 national channels - STB, ICTV, Novyy ( Victor Pinchuk), Inter (Valeriy Khoroshkovsky), “Ukraina” (Rinat Akhmetov), First National and Channel 5signed a Memorandum “Open News for Transparent Elections” initiated by International Renaissance Foundation (IRF). The Memorandum stated that key national TV channels should consider results of media monitoring conducted by media NGOs under U-Media and IRF support to improve objectivity and balance of news. Monitoring reports are to be sent to the channels on a weekly basis to make possible quick reaction of news editorials. Monitoring Expert Group consists of the Academy of Ukrainian Press (AUP), Institute of Mass Information (IMI), Telekritika (TK) and Committee of Equal Opportunities, http://vybory.mediasapiens.ua/2012/09/27/uchasnyky-initsiatyvy-vidkyti-novyny-zarady-chesnyh-vyboriv-uzhodyly-alhorytm-spivpratsi.
• September 27 – Telekritika (TK) interviewed journalists about statement of the Council of Justice of Ukraine that accused journalists in discrediting justice system and interference into courts’ work through demonstration of disrespect. The Council became angry with the article in “Ukraina Moloda” (Young Ukraine) newspaper that wrote about corruption and trumped-up cases in Ukrainian courts. Journalists explained their disagreement with the Council’s statement and shared their negative attitudes towards honesty and transparency of court system in Ukraine,http://video.telekritika.ua/show/opituvannia/1176-suddi_proti_zhurnalistiv_27.09.2012.

Access to information

• September 29  – Chief of the Department on Access to Information at Presidential Administration Mr. Denis Ivanesko placed a public report on execution of the Law on Access to Public Information by national and local public officials. Within 16 months of the Law action, the governments responded to over 50 thousands of information requests.  23 thousands were submitted through e-mail. Journalists submitted and received responses for 5,200 requests. 92% of responses were provided within 5 working days; only 3% were refused to respond. In total, 343 officials were employed to file responses on public requests. Considering some violations by officials in non-providing information, Mr. Ivanesko mentioned that Ukraine reached a high level of openness and transparency in relations between citizens and governments due to implementation of the Law on Access to Public Information, http://www.telekritika.ua/daidzhest/2012-09-29/75493.

Other News

• October 1 - Regional Initiatives Foundation launched a legal hotline and five regional consultative centers for journalists under the project on legal protection of journalists during 2012 Parliamentary Elections campaign. Journalists can report through the phone on facts of beating and pressure while executing their work. Hotline working hours – 10:00am – 6:00pm. Phone #: 0800-50-1447. All calls from the regions of Ukraine are free of charge. The Regional Initiatives Foundations is a pro-governmental NGO aiming at cooperation between the regions of Ukraine in economic, social, research and cultural sectors, http://vybory.mediasapiens.ua/2012/09/27/1-zhovtnya-zapratsyuje-haryacha-telefonna-liniya-z-pravovoho-zahystu-zhurnalistiv/.

U-MEDIA AND ITS PARTNERS’ ACTIVITIES:

• October 3 - On September 19, at the press-conference at UNIAN, Internews Ukraine officially launched a crowdsourcing project http://electua.org/ that monitors and reflects the map of violations of election legislation. Currently, the network of l2 organizations is involved in the project. 378 reports about violations are available on the web. Among them: 37.2% - about violations of pre-election agitation rules; 14% - prevention from conducting pre-election campaign; 13.1% - bribing voters; 2% - pressure on media; 7% - violations in work of electoral commissions; 12.7% - influence of administrative resources on the elections process and/or voters; 14% - other violations. Promotional viral PSA has been distributed since October 1,http://electua.org/2012/10/01/bud-aktyvnym-zupyny-epidemiyu/ 
• October 3 – U-Media organized an informal discussion of its partners with the USAID/WDC representatives: Ms. Paige Alexander, Assistant Administrator, Europe and Eurasia Bureau; and Ms. Carla Koppell, Senior Coordinator for Gender, Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Topics for discussion: media environment in Ukraine; state of freedom of speech and information and approach to empowering women in media work.
• October 2 – U-Media Communication Officer Ms. Irina Negreeva participated in a round table on gender issues in USAID-funded programs in Ukraine. Ms. Carla Koppell, Senior Coordinator for Gender, Equality and Women’s Empowerment, introduced new USAID gender equality and women’s empowerment strategy and indicators for reporting efficiency of gender programs.
• October 2, Simferopol (Crimea) – IPC-Simferopol released an investigative TV program “Issues of National Security” on Chernomorskaya TV. “Issues of National Security” is the weekly half-hour TV-program on issues vital to Crimean residents produced by IPC-Simferopol,http://investigator.org.ua/vnb/58060/
• September 29 – First International Forum “Media for Informational Society” took place in Kyiv under support of the Council of Europe, Embassy of France, Internews, US Embassy in Belarus and other local and international partners. Sections will cover management of Internet and multi-stake holders, digital economy and censorship in Internet, http://www.telekritika.ua/notices/2012-09-26/75392.
• September 28-29 – Regional Press Development Institute (RPDI) held an investigative reporting training “Follow the money: reporting on coverage of funding sources of political parties and candidates during elections” for journalists from western and central regions of Ukraine. Participants will gain knowledge on approach to monitoring of political parties’ funds, state procurement actions and corruption on the national and regional levels. 16 participants are expected, http://www.telekritika.ua/notices/2012-08-22/74341.
• September 27 – Telekritika (TK) awarded a journalist of Channel 5Mr. Serhiy Dorofeyev with a prize for his conscience social position and responsible unbiased reporting on social issues within the annual media competition “For Professional Ethics.” With U-Media support, Telekritika launched that competition to encourage professional journalism standards and ethics among TV journalists of Ukraine. Last year, the prize was awarded to Ms. Hanna Bezulyk for her program “Respublika” (Republic) on Channel 5, http://www.telekritika.ua/news/2012-09-27/75419.   
• September 27, Uzhhorod – National Independent Media Trade Union (NIMTU) held a seminar on legal issues for journalists. Key topics: Law on Elections and journalists rights. Media lawyers will introduce effective ways to protect journalists’ rights and get access to information during the election campaign. NIMTU legal hotline continues providing telephone and online consultancy for journalists from different regions of Ukraine.
• September 27 – Institute of World Policy (IWP) held a video-conference with a well-known journalist and historian Ms. Anne Applebaum under its project “Global Virtual Forum of Women-Leaders”. Ukrainian politicians, NGOs, experts and journalists participated in the conference to discuss the perception of Ukrainian policies by US government and expert communities. The Forum discusses the issues of gender equality and promotion of more active participation of women in political and economic  development of their countries, http://iwp.org.ua/eng/public/601.html.
• September 27, Sevastopol (Crimea) – IPC-Sevastopol published an investigative report on illegal construction on the Cape “Khrustalnyy” in the center of Sevastopol on its 911sevastopol.orgwebsite, http://911sevastopol.org/articles/Bitva_za_mys_Khrustalnyj.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• October 12 – Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information under support of the Council of Europe will hold a roundtable “Universe Program Service in Europe and Possible Solutions for Ukraine” to discuss the best approach to form social pack of available digital broadcasters for Ukraine, http://www.telekritika.ua/notices/2012-09-25/75370.
• October 11 – Institute of World Policy (IWP) will conduct an analytical Presentation of the policy paper "Priorities for Ukraine's OSCE Chairmanship 2013". The policy paper will be presented by Mr. Matthew Rojansky, the Deputy Director for Programs for Russia and Eurasia at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Washington D.C.), http://iwp.org.ua/eng/public/598.html