THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Lawyers of businessmen and officials turn to the Commission on Journalistic Ethics in order to later use its decision in court and punish journalists.
“The number of complaints from lawyers of public figures to the Commission on Journalistic Ethics has increased. We see attempts to prove that journalists have violated the code of ethics in order to use it in court. This goal has nothing to do with self-regulation of the media, which is aimed at voluntary compliance with the rules, and not at punishment,” noted the First Secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), Lina Kushch, speaking at the round table called Self-Regulation In The Media: What To Do To Make It A Value For The Media?
The event was organized by the Commission on Journalistic Ethics.
Media lawyer Oksana Maksymeniuk (Regional Press Development Institute) confirms the existence of a problem:
“In order for a lawyer to receive a large amount of fees, they write forty-seven sheets of claims, which are simply not substantiated by anything. When journalists see a lawsuit for 500,000 in moral damages and 200,000 in compensation for legal services, it is clear that this does not create a normal atmosphere for their work. Journalists should understand that their responsibility arises from the moment they publish material containing unverified, unreliable information.”
Any consumers of information – individuals and legal entities – can apply to the Commission on Journalistic Ethics.
Oleksandr Burmahin, a member of the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Council, explains:
“The number of complaints from lawyers has increased because the law On State Support of the Media and Social Protection of Journalists introduced a provision on the duty of journalists to adhere to the code of professional ethics. This norm was proposed by representatives of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, but now it is used by lawyers, trying to justify the amount of moral damage.
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