Iryna Zemlyana: Government ceasing pressure on the media will help Ukraine on the way to the EU
The Ukrainian authorities ceasing pressure on the media will positively impact Ukraine's EU accession talks, said Iryna Zemlyana, a media expert at the Institute of Mass Information, at the panel discussion "Rule of law in Ukraine on the eve of EU accession talks", organized by a coalition* of NGOs in Brussels on October 16.
Iryna Zemlyana also stressed the challenges faced by the Ukrainian media, including:
- media outlets closing down due to the impact of Russian aggression;
- the media being displaced by Telegram channels;
- the decline of the advertising market;
- underfunding of Suspilne Broadcasting.
"The media sphere is a field where a hands-off approach by the state would be more of a positive than a negative. We see Ukraine's position rising. In 2024, Ukraine went 18 positions up in the Press Freedom Index by the international watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranking 61st (in 2023, Ukraine ranked 79th). Access to the VRU being resumed is also a positive.
"At the same time, the underfunding of Suspilne and the lack of an advertising market pose challenges. Survival is a huge challenge for the media. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, we have recorded over 230 Ukrainian media outlets closing down. Another problem is the media being displaced by Telegram channels, which are used by politicians and other interested parties to promote their agenda. They are also used to attack journalists and activists," added the IMI media expert.
IMI media expert Iryna Zemlyana (center) at the panel discussion "Rule of law in Ukraine on the eve of EU accession talks" on October 16. Photo provided by Iryna Zemlyana
The latest data by the Institute of Mass Information show that in the two years and seven months since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has committed 637 crimes against journalists and the media in Ukraine.
*The coalition of NGOs that organized the event included: Institute of Mass Information, Anti-Corruption Center, DEJURE Foundation, Automaidan, anti-corruption center "Mezha", International Center of Ukrainian Victory, Media Initiative for Human Rights.
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