“Support of independent media is an effective protection against Russian propaganda,” NUJU First Secretary Lina Kushch

The registration fee for new hyperlocal media engaged in distribution at the district level has risen eleven times with the enactment of the law On Media.

Lina Kushch, the First Secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), said this at a closed online discussion of the law on Media organized by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).

To counter Russian propaganda, Ukraine cannot simply mirror them. According to Lina Kushch, effective protection is proper support for independent media, primarily local ones.

“The lawmakers are trying to solve opposite problems. On the one hand, to fight against Russian propaganda, you need to support your media and simplify working conditions. On the other hand, the law complicated the activity of Ukrainian newsrooms,” said Lina Kushch.

Maja Sever, the President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), also participated in the discussion. She supported NUJU‘s position on the law and called for a more inclusive dialogue between developers and the journalism community.

NUJU information service