Rules Can Be Uncomfortable, But Necessary

Michael Hedges January 19, 2023 - Follow on Twitter

War is a challenge, certainly, for media outlets located in the midst. There are internationally accepted rules meant to hold together some degree to order if not relieve some pain. Then there is reality. Combatants either want to win or don’t want to lose. We always remember the first casualty of war is truth, often attributed to 5th century BC Greek dramatist Aeschylus.

A new media law signed in December by Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky was meant to satisfy needs of the European Commission as the country, continuously under bombardment by forces of the Russian Federation, inches closer to European Union (EU) membership. That, in itself, is a daunting process, standardizing media regulation an important part. Addressing a current crucial issue, the new law addressed propaganda and disinformation from Russian Federation actors. Media observers in Ukraine were generally pleased by the legislative result. The EU Delegation to Ukraine lent its support as the new law would “ensure a competitive media market with rules for all, an independent regulator, and comply with the EU audiovisual directive,” said a statement, quoted by Kiev Post (January 2).

Also supportive, with minor caveat, was press freedom advocate Reporters sans Frontieres (RFS). The law “On Media” recognizes online media as equal to traditional media and requires explicate disclosure of media owners. “We welcome this reform, which had been awaited for several years, and the improvements that were made before its final adoption,” RSF Eastern Europe and Central Asia spokesperson Jeanne Cavelier, in a statement (January 11). “But we expect an additional effort from the authorities to complete this reform, in order to safeguard the media regulator’s total independence, as soon as the constitutional constraints linked to the current war are lifted.” RSF - and others - want constitutional guarantees on the independence of Ukraine’s media regulator when the country is no longer at war.

“The Ukrainian regulator was completely toothless for most of the years of its existence,” said Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy Taras Shevchenko to Voice of America (VOA), quoted by news agency Ukranews (January 13). “This can be seen in the example of pro-Russian TV channels, with which nothing could be done. The powers of the regulator were very limited. Strengthening the powers of the regulator is a necessary step to ensure and guarantee independence.”

Bending in the other direction was journalist trade union federation International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The new Ukrainian law, it said in a statement (January 12), “expands the government's power to control the media, endangering press freedom and media pluralism in the country.” Seeming to forget that Ukraine is at war with a belligerent nuclear power, IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger warned of “expanding state control over media.”

IFJ member - perhaps for a limited time - Finnish Association of Journalists (Suomen Journalistiliitto) president Hanne Aho recently issued a number of complaints about the organization. Several considered money. "We cannot claim that they have committed corruption, but there are clear signs and suspicions,” she said to Helsingin Sanomat (January 5), suggesting money had changed hands to arrange the 2019 IFJ Congress in Tunisia, comparing the IFJ to international football association FIFA.

Also driving the interest in separating from the IFJ is its relations with the Russian Federation, which Mrs Ano called “Putinist.” That long border with the Russian Federation provides Finns with ample awareness. “We believe that the Finnish Association of Journalists cannot be involved in activities that support Putin's goals and Russia's war of aggression.” She was not amused by the organizing of pro-Russian journalist groups in territories annexed from Ukraine and suggested other IFJ member organizations - particularly in the Baltics and Scandinavia - might also bolt.

See also...

• Hot Topics - Media in Ukraine

• Hot Topics - Journalist Association and Unions