NEWS AND VIEWS

Young Ukrainian journalists warn of danger of continued deterioration of press freedom

NEW YORK - Carrying a letter of introduction from Mark A. Taplin, counselor for public affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, a small delegation of young journalists from Kyiv was in the United Sates from December 4, 1999, through January 3, 2000, meeting with congressional staff, administration officials and representatives of non-profit organizations and foundations in Washington and New York in an effort to publicize the continued deterioration of press freedom in Ukraine.

The message brought here by Serhiy Sholokh, general manager of Radio Kontinent, Olena Prytula of Interfax Ukraine and Georgiy Gongadze, also of Radio Kontinent is that the psychological and physical intimidation of the press by the government in Ukraine was not simply a short-term phenomenon related to the re-election of President Leonid Kuchma, but rather, has become a consistent element in the practice of journalism in Ukraine.

This phenomenon of control by intimidation has a dual nature, according to Mr. Gongadze. The first is external, such as the use of administrative means, for example tax audits, and physical means, such as threats of bodily harm, to keep editors and journalists in line; the second is internal, ever-increasing self-censorship - as editors and journalists refrain from reporting negative information about elected officials, as well as about the so-called financial "oligarchs," in order to not suffer consequences later.

A December 2 RFE/RL report stated that some observers in Ukraine believe that the issue of media intimidation has been overblown. Among them is Taras Kuzmov of Internews, an internationally funded project for training journalists. He claims that media organizations in Ukraine's relatively numerous regional medias feel little or no pressure from elected officials or financial oligarchs, though he does acknowledge intimidation of large, central media outlets and the phenomenon of journalistic self-censorship.

In a December 17 meeting at the New York offices of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Mr. Gongadze dismissed such comments about regional media by noting that most regional media outlets are relatively weak and not influential. He said he supports the increased involvement of the West in media development in Ukraine, including Western ownership, as a hedge against ownership exclusively by Ukraine's financial oligarchs.

The delegation distributed copies of a statement signed in November by 60 journalists in which an appeal is made to the world community to focus on the problem of lack of press freedom in Ukraine. In the appeal it is stated that without a free press, without open discourse and an informed public, democracy in Ukraine will never truly develop.

Below is the full text of statement distributed by the delegation of journalists. (No first names were given for the signatories to the statement).

* * *

We, journalists of Ukraine, who work in various mass media, feel it is our professional and community obligation to our society and citizens of our country to state the following:

Ukraine, which gained its independence in 1991 with the support of the majority of its citizens, is in its ninth year of independence. Presently, however, Ukraine is faced with the true danger of the dissolution of a free and independent press - not to mention democracy as a whole.

During the past several years Ukraine has seen the formation of clan-like, oligarchic political groupings that have instituted antiquated methods of state control, and have led to the practical liquidation of independent television and print media.

Notwithstanding the government's declared freedom of speech, the administrative and financial pressure placed on the mass media has forced Ukraine's mass media to turn into separate financial-political groupings that stand for personal political and economic interests. Therefore, the interests of the public in obtaining unbiased and objective information are ignored. Furthermore, citizens of Ukraine obtain distorted and tendentious information about issues in the country that represent individual views on these events.

In cases where there is critical material about the activity of state authorities in TV-radio information programs or in newspapers, those responsible for issuing such material undergo pressure from the state tax administration and other government structures. At the same time, if any publication shows an extreme loyalty and allegiance to existing authorities it can count on the state's material support, thus allowing the former to cast aside all fears about the uncertainty of future existence. As a result, Ukrainian mass media do not even dare to publish an alternative or opposing opinion on certain issues.

Such a situation was obviously present during the recent presidential elections [in October 1999], when the press and TV played a "killer" role of moral destruction of the opponents to incumbent President Leonid Kuchma. Millions of dollars were spent on persecuting and discrediting the president's rival. Pressure on national and local mass media reached unprecedented levels.

State and so-called "independent" publications were under total control, rather, censored, with regard to informational content and materials, which has led to self-censorship among journalists. As a result, the notion of journalism as a profession has become defunct in Ukraine. Journalists, who do not accept such "rules of the game" and cannot serve such a system, do not have an opportunity to grow professionally and are forced to look for other jobs in order to earn a living.

Therefore, we journalists of Ukraine, express our resolute protest and appeal to the world community to show its attitude towards the curtailing of democratic processes in Ukraine, the evidence of which is the strangulation of the freedom of speech and information in our state, and to speak in support of our constitutional and professional rights.

If Western political circles ignore these problems, the present situation will lead to the establishment of an authoritarian regime, which under the slogans of democracy will destroy civil society, creating the foundation for unpredictable developments in Central Europe.

Signed by:

Gongadze - freelance journalist
Latko - Samostiina Ukraina newspaper (Independent Ukraine)
Varnitsky - Visti-News Vikna-TV ("Windows" TV news)
Tcupa - Silski Visti (Village News) newspaper
Kulikov - Reuters
Pogorelova - Politychni Khroniky newspaper (Political chronicals)
Masalsky - Khreschatyk newspaper
Obrazctova - Novyi Canal (TV New Channel)
Zinovjeva - TSN Novyny (TSN news "1+1" Channel)
Chornaja - Kievskiie Viedomosti (Kyiv News) newspaper
Horban - freelance journalist
Arjev - TV channel
Fitcych - Inter TV channel
Takhmazov - Inter TV channel
Prytula - Interfax-Ukraine news agency
Skachko - freelance journalist
Rakhmanin - Zerkalo Nedeli newspaper (Mirror of the Week)
Gorchinskaya - Kiev Post English-language newspaper
Hmyrjanska - BBC radio
Shevchenko - Vikna-News STV
Lozovy - TSN Novyny (TSN news "1+1"channel)
Shust - radio Lux
Kharchuk - freelance journalist
Kliujeva - TVstation JUTAR
Gasjuk - freelance journalist
Doschatov - freelance TV journalist
Gorkovenko - Visti-News Vikna-TV ("Windows" TV news)
Zakaliuzhny - Ukrainske Slovo newspaper (Ukrainian Word)
Chlynchak - Segodnia newspaper (Today)
Volska - Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty)
Gutcul - Robitnycha Gazeta newspaper (Worker 's Newspaper)
Solovjova - UNIAN news agency
Jakubenko - unemployed journalist
Savostina - Vikna-News STV
Koroliuk - Holos Ukrainy newspaper (Voice of Ukraine)
Petrishin - Vikna-News STV
Lavreniuk - Holos Ukrainy newspaper (Voice of Ukraine)
Meniajlo - Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty)
Dushko - Posrednik weekly (Mediator)
Jurchuk - Moneymaker magazine
Linchevsky - Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty)
Hazan - Vikna-News STV
Kudrin - UNIAR news agency
Soroka - Inter TV channel
Tcvetkova - Vechirni Visti newspaper (Evening News)
Prytula - Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty)
Lappo - Interfax-Ukraine news agency
Shmatkov - Interfax-Ukraine news agency
Teplova - Internews-Ukraine
Goncharenko - Continent radio
Zakharov - Vilna Khvylia radio (Free Wave)
Hlibovitsky - National TV company
Zaplavska - Companion magazine
Stefanovich - freelance journalist
Levitska - Za Vilnu Ukrainu newspaper (For Independent Ukraine)
Gavrilova - Den newspaper (Day)
Rudenko - Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty)
Koroliuk - Express-Inform newspaper
Melnichuk - freelance journalist

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 16, 2000, No. 3, Vol. LXVIII

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