Staff of Volodymyr Vynnychenko State University of Central Ukraine (Kropyvnytskyi) barred journalists with local news outlets to cover the university’s rector election, reports Pavlo Lisnychenko, the Institute of Mass Information’s regional representative, citing a Facebook post by independent journalist Anatoliy Voinyi and comments by Olena Sidorova, director of the newspaper Kirovohradska Pravda.
Anatoliy Voinyi, who also chairs the public council at Kirovohrad Oblast Military Administration, wrote a Facebook post on 15 October, saying that he had been denied access to cover the rector election. The staff claimed he did not have the necessary credentials.
READ MORE
- Police to investigate SIAUP’s refusal to admit journalist to hearing as obstruction of reporting
- Court overturns police’s decision to close probe into denial of access to Dnipro.media reporters
Journalists with Kirovohradska Pravda ran into the same problem. Olena Sidorova said that the newsroom regarded the rector election as an event of public importance and open to media coverage.
“We have covered the university’s events many times before, and faced no such restrictions on reporting. However, at the entrance we were told that only accredited media representatives could attend the election, so the newsroom’s journalists would not be let in. We had our press IDs with us, confirming our professional status. We also offered to pass the accreditation procedure on the spot, but were refused,” Olena Sidorova told IMI’s representative.
She said that the staff at the election venue had explained that the accreditation procedure was available on the institution’s official website.
However, IMI lawyer Volodymyr Zelenchuk stresses that no internal regulation of an institution can disregard Ukrainian law.
He said that Article 25 of the Law “On Information” guarantees journalists the right to freely enter the premises of public bodies and attend the open events they hold.
“Since, in general, it is public authorities that are vested with the right to grant accreditation, a state university must also be subject to the other provisions of the information law concerning the rights and obligations of public bodies. Thus, refusing journalists entry to the university’s premises is an overt breach of the law and, in general, may be classified as obstruction of lawful reporting,” Zelenchuk remarked.
IMI’s representative tried to contact the State University of Central Ukraine at the phone numbers listed on the institution’s website, but no one was immediately available.
IMI is ready to publish the university’s position if one is provided.