42 media outlets improve transparency by following Institute of Mass Information recommendations

Collage by the IMI

42 online news outlites in Ukraine's various oblasts improved their editorial policies, as well as their ad labeling and ownership/contacts transparency. The imporvements became possible thanks to the consultations provided by the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) while the Recommended Media Map was being prepared. The IMI's advisory support is available to all media outlets that are willing to raise their transparency and accountability standards, implement new internal regulations and solutions, and become more independent from external influence.

What media outlets improved their indicators with the help of the Institute of Mass Information?

• 25 hyperlocal media that are part of the holding company Rayon published an editorial policy on their websites and improved their ad labeling transparency.
• 20 Khvylyn Ternopil promptly updated their ad labeling transparency and added it to the website's footer.
• Kharkiv Times updated the content of their rulles and standards, adding new provisions.
• Trybuna Sumy corrected the information about the media otlet's owner.
• Vidbudova.Zaporizhzhia reuploaded their editorial policy, which had failed to display and had not been available to the audience due to a technical failure.
• Irta-fax expanded their editorial policy, following the recommendations provided in the Institute of Mass Information manual.
• Yampil.INFO did not have a full editorial policy and ad labeling transparency information on their website. After an appeal by the IMI, the team added the Editorial Policy section to their main page and supplemented it with new provisions. Moreover, ad placement transparency-related changes were made to the website.
• Having consulted with experts and using the model in the IMI manual, Slobidskyi Krai developed an overhauled editorial policy of the media outlet.
• Odesa Online have updated the information on ad labeling transparency and published their editorial policy, using the advice and manual by the IMI.
• Ye team also published an editorial policy after an appeal by the IMI, based on the recommendations from the IMI manual.
• Healthy Person's News had no full list of contacts, data on the owner, or ad labeling on their website. Thanks to the consultation by the IMI and the manual, the team published this information.
• Na Mezhi team developed and published an editorial policy after an appeal by the IMI.
• The Bucha City added an editorial policy and ad labeling information to the website following the recommendations by the IMI.
• The news agency Vchasno updated their ad labeling transparency policy after contacting the IMI.
• The following media outlets improved their transparency and editorial policies following recommendations by the IMI: Cukr, Hlukhiv.City, Odesa Life, Svitlovodsk.

Not all of the listed media outlets were included in the Recommended Media Map after improving their editorial policies. Some received recommendations for improving content and adherence to standards. IMI experts welcome the steps towards transparency and accountability taken by these publications and expect to see them on the next Map in February–March 2025.

How can a media outlet imropve their editorial policy?

The editors can contact the Institute of Mass Information experts at [email protected].

We remind you that during the third monitoring wave, 205 media outlets from all oblasts of Ukraine made it into the Recommended Media Map, which is 29 more news outlets than during the previous wave. In particular, this was achieved through media outlets improving their editorial policies following consultations with experts of the Institute of Mass Information. The map is created by the Institute of Mass Information and Detector Media.

The experts also explained in detail how regional media outlets can get included on the Recommended Media Map.