Ukraine/Media/Background

IPI Global Journalist Magazine: Media Take on Color in Orange Ukraine

"The first three months of the ´Orange power´ have proved that the new government and media are cooperating. The government represents democratic examples, doesn’t react to criticism with censorship letters and doesn’t limit the work of the media. The media in turn report the events in good balance. The broadcasting companies try to increase the number of discussion programs and television channels and invite the representatives of the new government as well as opposition leaders to appear on their programs."

"Ukrainian journalists say they don’t want the censorship pressure, different kinds of threats and, especially, deaths of journalists to be a constant threat again. Oksana Denysova, correspondent for a news program in the National Radio Company of Ukraine comments: ' I felt the total freedom working for a state medium just three days after the revolution. There is no direct pressure on the journalists, but our managers don’t welcome the criticism of the new government. They work to make sure our assumptions of the Orange power are favorable.' "

"Developing independent media is a complicated task, and Ukrainian journalists try to be optimistic, though no one knows for sure what the results of Yushchenko’s presidency will be. Volodymyr Mostovy, editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Weekly Mirror, says, ' …the journalists should look critically on the activity of the new government.' "