Independent media council: coverage of events in Yahotyn reveals xenophobic attitude

The majority of Ukrainian mass media that were covering the topic of refugees and asylum seekers, and the start of functioning of the shelter for these people in the town of Yahotyn in Kyivska oblast committed violations of international and national standards regarding inadmissibility of discrimination, hate speech, as well as serious violations of the relevant professional and ethical standards. This was the summary resolution of the Independent media council. The council was reviewing the coverage of the problems of refugees in the context of functioning of the refugee shelter in the town of Yahotyn, Kyivska oblast.

The leading Ukrainian national channels (112 Ukraina, 1+1, Ukraina, ICTV, STB, Novyi Kanal, Inter, Channel 5) and leading online media (Ukrainska pravda) prepared stories predominantly emphasizing the negative aspects and reinforcing negative stereotypes about refugees, focusing on problems caused by them and negative opinions of local people related to them.