Ukrainian Association of Media Business called authorities to support professional media in period of quarantine

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The Ukrainian Association of Media Business (UAMB) has appealed to the Government, the Verkhovna Rada and the head of state asking to back several urgent measures ensuring access of the Ukrainians to professional media in the period of quarantine. This is the message of the open letter the UAMB has published on its website on March 27.

The UAMB emphasizes the need to introduce a number of measures necessary for the uninterrupted and timely informing of Ukrainians of developments and to ensure access to professional quality information prepared by employees of publishing companies and to provide it to all, without exception, residents of Ukraine.

“These are the Ukrainian editions of local distribution that are the source of information for residents of villages, cities and districts - and this is 66% of the population of Ukraine! Local print media are a source of local information and news for 70% of Ukrainian citizens, and if you add here the information resources created and filled by publishers, the figures will be even higher, ” the statement reads.

Thus, UAMB requested the authorities to support the following priority measures to ensure access of the Ukrainian population to professional media as a socially important resource:

1. To enter the press to the list of goods that should be accessed through working networks of grocery stores and supermarkets.
2. To list the retail press outlets in the list of infrastructure facilities that should operate and provide information security in Ukraine.Most kiosks also sell personal hygiene products (masks, antiseptics) on the street today, and, in fact, they are closed spaces where the seller-buyer contact is much more than the buyer and cashier at the supermarket.
3. To ensure the option of an uninterrupted transportation of the press from printing houses to retail outlets for companies specializing in press logistics.
4. To expand the list of places where press can be traded.To add the press to the commercial range of  goods to be sold in the supermarkets and pharmacies.
5. To make Ukrposhta guarantee of timely delivery of the press to subscribers.To find ways for temporary (for the period of quarantine) tariff reduction for the delivery of the periodical press.
6. In the period when, overall mass media advertising revenue are facing a record decline and in order to prevent media outlets from being shut down, we call to launch tax breaks - temporarily abolish income tax for editorial staff and VAT on sales of the press. For the period of quarantine, to set a preferential rent for editorial boards and newsstands : 1 UAH per month.
7. In order to support the editorial boards of local editions - to distribute social advertising at the expense of budget funds in the local newspapers, based on the cost of 1 UAH for one copy of the subscribed press.Thus, the subscribers of local press will get reliable information from the Government and the Ministry of Health (more than 50% of whom are elderly people at the highest risk of death from the coronavirus). Such measures will be the most successful, since they will protect the elderly and support the crisis-hit local newspapers and be very effective well-targeted communication for the Government.

The appeal is open, you can join here.

The Ukrainian Association of Media Business brings together 56 publishing companies from all over Ukraine, publishing more than 250 print and over 350 digital media.

As IMI reported, on March 25, media organizations and media representatives called on MPs to take measures to support the functioning of the media in the context of restrictive anti-epidemic measures through the COVID-19 pandemic.