Reporters Without Borders voices concerns over freedom of Ukrainian media

Press freedom campaign group Reporters Without Borders have called on Ukrainian officials to act after a fact-finding mission to the country raised concerns over the safety and freedom of journalists.

RWB spent three days in the country to perform an initial assessment, in response to what it calls "a marked increase in press freedom violations" this year.

During the visit, the organisation's representatives met with national and regional news media, press freedom organisations and government officials, including the General Prosecutor Oleksandr Medvedko.

Upon their return, Elsa Vidal, head of the Europe and Central Asia desk at RWB, told Journalism.co.uk there were serious concerns about the "overall climate" for reporters and dangers to their safety.

"The preliminary findings support the concerns of RWB about cases of physical attacks and harassment, especially when those responsible are not prosecuted. This impunity could be seen by officials as a signal that they can treat journalists as they see fit."

She said part of the reason behind the trip was to look into the investigation over the assassination of Georgy Gongadze, a journalist killed in 2000.

Vidal, who travelled to the Ukraine along with RWB's general secretary Jean-François Julliard, added that monitoring the editorial independence of the broadcast media, the most consumed platform for news in the Ukraine, will be at "the heart" of ensuring media freedom for the future.

"A lot is at stake as the public gets most of its news from radio and TV," she told Journalism.co.uk. "The creation of a significant public broadcasting group that is free of government control is vital for media pluralism. The independence of the media regulatory authorities also appears to be essential for ensuring that the news media continue to be independent."

Other issues investigated during the trip included several cases of suspected media censorship by the government.

"In some cases, the source of the censorship was the management of the news media, so it can be regarded as self-censorship," she said. "But in several other cases, direct intervention by political authorities was suspected. The allocation of TV broadcast frequencies and, in particular, the danger that TVi and 5 Kanal could lose the frequencies they were allocated in January, appears in the current context to be a form of political pressure".

The group has now put together a list of seven recommendations to Ukrainian officials to tackle the issues raised.

1. Deal with flagrant violations of the freedom of the media and journalists with all the necessary rigour and thoroughness. In particular, ensure that those responsible for physical attacks on journalists are prosecuted.
2. Make sure that state agents implement all the legal provisions concerning press freedom and, in particular, article 171 of the criminal code.
3. Ensure that a public broadcasting group is created that is independent of the government.
4. Ensure that the system of allocating broadcast frequencies is transparent and that, in the case of TVi and 5 Kanal, the next hearing is open to the public.
5. Guarantee the independence of the broadcast media regulatory authorities, paying particular attention to their composition and the way their members are appointed.
6. Ensure free and rapid access to public information, both for journalists and ordinary citizens.
7. Guarantee the transparency of the investigation into Georgyi Gongadze's murder and ensure that the upcoming trial is an open one.

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