President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered the Cabinet of Ministers to write a new law to regulate mass media in Ukraine.
On Nov. 9, the Ukrainian president published a decree on “urgent measures to reform and strengthen the state.” Among its demands, Zelensky urged the Cabinet to draft a law that will create standards for media in an effort to regulate the work of the press and combat the spread of false information in Ukraine.
Recently, Zelensky has complained about fake news and propaganda, a challenge that Ukraine has faced both from Russia and domestically. But the president’s decree has raised concerns that the government may attempt to pressure and censor journalists in Ukraine.
According to the decree, the law must define standards for news stories and ban Russian citizens — whose country Ukraine is fighting against in the Donbas — from owning or financing media in Ukraine. It should also increase the penalty for violating the country’s information law. The current law largely protects journalists and outlines punishments for officials who inhibit their work.
According to the decree, the new law must be drafted by the end of 2019.
Zelensky’s demand for a new mass media law comes after members of his party in parliament and some ministers have criticized the press and called for increased media regulation.
At a special hearing on freedom of speech in Ukraine’s parliament on Nov. 6, Oleksandr Tkachenko, a lawmaker in Zelensky’s Servant of the People party and the former head of the 1+1 Media holding, suggested sanctioning Ukrainian media outlets that were not profitable for three consecutive years. In his opinion, this indicates that they are a tool for the owner who subsidizes them.
Tkachenko believes this results in journalists who, under the influence of the media owners, publish fake news, disinformation and propaganda in favor of Russia. Tkachenko said the sanctions will be included in the draft law he and other lawmakers are preparing for submission by the end of 2019.
Ironically, Tkachenko ran Channel 1+1, which has often reflected the interests of its owner, oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. Leaked phone conversations between Kolomoisky and Tkachenko show the oligarch giving orders to his TV channel’s CEO.
Meanwhile, at the same parliamentary hearing, Ukrainian Culture Minister Volodymyr Borodiansky suggested prosecuting journalists who “manipulate” as well as people who pay journalists to do this.
While Borodiansky also proposed defending journalists from political pressure and punishing those who leak journalists’ personal data in order to threaten them, he also wants to introduce criminal prosecution for publishing stories that aim to “manipulate public consciousness” and for ordering such stories.
