“We can’t understand how this algorithm will work,” military journalist Mykhailo Sharkov on changes for front-line media workers

Well-known Ukrainian military journalist Mykhailo Sharkov, working for Apostrof TV and preparing materials as a freelancer, regularly visits hot spots in Ukraine. In the comment for the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), he calls the recently introduced new procedure for access of media persons to the front-line territories “incomprehensible.”

As earlier reported, on March 20, operational and strategic groups Odesa and Khortytsia announced a new zoning of the territories adjacent to the front: the “red” zone – the work of journalists is prohibited; the “yellow” zone – accredited journalists are allowed to work only accompanied by press officers, and the “green” zone – accredited journalists are allowed.

“I spoke with some other journalists, and we still can’t figure out how this algorithm will work,” Mykhailo said. “The most questionable, unclear zone is “yellow,” where media people can work only accompanied by press officers. Let’s take, for example, Mykolayiv, which for unknown reasons ended up in the “yellow” zone. One press officer works there. The same concerns Kherson. And how many mass media work there? Moreover, everyone wants to come to the city for a day or two to shoot not one story but a series of stories on different topics. This is impossible to do now.

According to Mykhailo Sharkov, the press officer can allocate only 15-20 minutes for each media, considering the number of journalists.

“What can be done in this short time?… Therefore, the only thing press officers will be able to do in such conditions is to accompany journalists,” Mykhailo Sharkov said.

He added that it is possible to understand the restrictions imposed on the front-line red zone. But the work of journalists in the “yellow” zone can be completely paralyzed.

“We are promised that the size of the “yellow” zone will change. But how will it happen? How will we know when changes are made? Can the border between zones pass along a street in a city? Will there be an online map created for this? I want the answers to these questions to be clear and some changes made to this issue,” said the journalist.

NUJU information service