IMI's sources: Ukrinform's guidelines for Kherson oblast listed no unwanted guests

The "topic guidelines" sent by the Ukrinform management to the Kherson oblast office listed no unwanted guests, but all the preferred ones worked in the oblast military administration.

The file received by the IMI representative in Kherson oblast from his sources features the names of seven guests who, according to the "topic guidelines", should be commenting on events in the oblast. All seven work in Kherson OMA.

The file suggested that updates on the socio-political situation in the oblast were to be given by the OMA chair Oleksandr Prokudin.

The OMA deputy chair Dmytro Butriy was supposed to comment on transparency and accountability, budget spending, as well as decentralization and agriculture.

Other suggested guests were Prokudin's deputies: Olha Malyarchuk, Anton Samoylenko, Mykhailo Lemak and Yaroslav Shanko.

The list also included Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, the OMA's chief internal and information policy.

Ukrinform's Kherson oblast correspondent Iryna Staroselets confirmed that no unwanted guests were listed like they were in other oblasts.

"I had no unwanted guests here in Kherson oblast," she said in response to the question about the "topic guidelines".

She added that they had no restrictions in Kherson oblsat, promising to comment on the document later.

Previously

On May 29, "Ukrainian Pravda" released the article "No outisders around. How the President's Office is taking control over Ukrinform", reporting that during his time as the director of the news agency Ukrinform, journalist Oleksiy Matsuka, who is considered a protege of the President's Office, introduced censorship, "topic guidelines", and planned to overhaul the agency so as to appoint the "right" people to certain positions.

On May 30, Suspilne released a program featuring Yuriy Stryhun, the Ukrinform correspondent for Chernihiv and Cherkasy oblasts, who confirmed receiving "topic guidelines" with a list of preferred and unwanted guests for Chernihiv oblast from the editor in December 2023.

On May 31, Yuriy Stryhun received a conscription notice with a demand to come to the enlistment office by his registered address. The notice was not delivered to the journalist's registered address, but sent to the Kyiv office of Ukrinform (his workplace)