The Odesa-based news website Antykoruptsiynyi Vymir reports systemic pressure by businessman Heorhiy Sedykh after the release of their news story about public procurement in the Usatove community. The businessman continued to demand the takedown of their news story even after the media outlet shared his perspective in a separate material, chief editor Olena Kravchenko reported to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Odesa oblast.
She said that following the release of the news story “New businessman, old customers: a newly registered sole trader was contracted to repair an Odesa oblast lyceum”, the businessman had sent at least five letters to the editorial office, demanding the news story be removed and retracted.
The editor stressed that the businessman had ignored the journalist’s request and did not take the opportunity to share his perspective before the investigation’s release. In his letters, Heorhiy Sedykh also asked that the news outlet publish a retraction, which the team did voluntarily in the article “Entrepreneur featured in Antykoruptsiynyi Vymir news sends comment”, where Sedykh was able to make his point of view public.
“In my opinion, Mr. Sedykh is not behaving like a person who wants to defend his dignity or reputation. He ignored the request for information and essentially declined the opportunity to share his perspective. Instead, he has already sent several letters demanding we take down the article and write that he had committed no violation, even though we did not claim he had,” said Olena Kravchenko.
In response to the businessman’s demands, Antykoruptsiynyi Vymir team said that they considered such actions as pressure on the media outlet and an attempt to limit the dissemination of socially important information.