MCIP opposes the exclusion of pro-russian hosts from telethons

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine believes that today is not the time for public lustrations and incitement of conflicts within the country and the professional journalist community. The MCIP advises to pay attention to the position taken by the listed pro-russian hosts during the war instead.

This is stated in the Ministry's response to the according statement of the journalist community regarding the exclusion of pro-russian hosts from the air.

It concerns MCIP that "in these times, which are critical for Ukraine, the country's information space is being filled with internal conflicts."

The Ministry reminded that on February 24, the large media groups appealed to them and to the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting to unite and create a united information front to combat russian propaganda. And, the Ministry emphasizes, this idea and its implementation were "quite successful" in the information war with russia. This became possible thanks to the efforts of all editors, journalists, and hosts who have been working as a united front 24/7 for three months now, the Ministry said.

At the same time, the MCIP notes that there are no illusions about Medvedchuk's contribution to the current war with russia.

"At the same time, we are deeply convinced that today is not the time for public lustrations and incitement of conflicts within the country and the professional journalist community. Today what matters is who stayed, sided with Ukraine, and proves their position with their conscientious work every day and night. Today we need every person, every specialist who works on the united information state front to defend our statehood and prevail over the russian invaders. Therefore, we consider it appropriate right now to pay attention first and foremost to the position taken by the listed hosts during the war," the statement reads.

The MCIP also stressed that they can not, due to their mandate, and do not consider it appropriate to interfere in the staff policy of channels and media groups.

"If we do not want to make a gap in our defense against russia, then today we must all act as a united front and not incite hostility within the country," the statement said.

As IMI reported, on May 12, Ukrainian journalists and human rights groups called for the exclusion of hosts who have previously played along with the enemy's rethoric and used to spread kremlin propaganda for many years.

This is first of all about Vasyl Holovanov, Tigran Martirosyan, Natasha Vlashchenko, Tetyana Honcharova, Nazar Dovhyy, Volodymyr Poluyev, Anna Stepanets, Anastasia Dauhule.

The authors of the appeal believe that now Ukraine has the chance to clear out our media space and to set up an institute of reputation to protect Ukraine from repeating the story in the future.

On April 4, Channel 5, "Priamyy," and "Espreso" announced that on April 4 in the morning the Broadcasting, Radiocommunications, and Television Concern (BRTC) had shut down the broadcasting of these TV channels in T2 digital network. The channels declared that the shut down was illegal, as there is no document that would give the BRT Concern justifications for it, and that neither the National Council nor the Ministry of Defence, which is mandated to regulate the martial law, nor the NSDC or any other govenment bodies have approved any decisions about shutting the channels down.

On May 9, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine explained that the reason for shutting off the digital broadcasting of "Espreso," Priamyy, and Channel 5 was an implementation of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine regarding the broadcast of a joint telethon.