The Media Movement is a coalition of Ukrainian media organizations and journalists that has called on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to take immediate actions against state officials’ pressure on the media. They have demanded transparency, open communication and unobstructed public access to vital information.
The Media Movement is a coalition of Ukrainian journalists, media outlets and civil society groups that advocate journalistic integrity. They have called on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop all pressure from state officials and advisors on the media, to ensure transparency and openness in state communication with journalists and to provide the press unhindered, unrestricted access to important information for the public.
Journalists made the statement after the Institute of Mass Information released a short interview of Sevgil Mujaieva, the chief editor of the “Ukrainska Pravda” who claimed that the President’s Office had been calling advertisers to ask them not place ads in this outlet.
“The second challenge that our media faces – and I can openly speak about this – is the pressure from the president’s office. They block advertising and prevent government officials attending our events. The President’s Office contacts potential advertisers to ask them not place ads in ‘Ukrainska Pravda’, or attend our events. Four participants resigned from our last event, which was devoted to exports. We were very aware of it. This is a form of economic pressuring on the editorial staff. I also know that the owner of “Ukrainska Pravda” was offered to sell the publication but refused. “I consider this a pressure tactic on the editorial team,” said chief editor.
“Ukrainska Pravda”, a media outlet, announced on 9 October that the President’s Office continues to exert pressure on the editorial staff and journalists. The media outlet claimed Dmytro Litvyn is the president’s advisor on communications and he is blocking speakers from interacting with “Ukrainska Pravda”, journalists, and participating in events and interviews.
“Ukrainska Pravda”, a Ukrainian online news outlet, was founded by journalist Georgiy Gondadze in 2000. Sevgil Mujaieva was appointed chief editor in 2014, after Georgiy Gongadze died.
The murder of Georgiy Gonadze, who openly protested the increasing state censorship in the fall 2000, brought international attention to the situation of press freedom in Ukraine. It also sparked protests in 2000 and 2001 against former President Leonid Kutschma.
Pavlo Sheremet, a journalist for “Ukrainska Pravda”, was killed by an explosion in July 2016. As of 2020, the killers of Gongadze remain unknown.
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