Новини компанії

The conference titled European Integration in Wartime: Challenges for Freedom of Speech and Suspilne Ukraine Role* took place on Monday, 2 September. The event was organized by Center for Democracy and Rule of Law, NGO, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy and Suspilne Ukraine.

While opening the conference, the speakers outlined the key problem issues of the broadcaster as of today and emphasized on further development of Suspilne Ukraine as the most successful case of the European integration reforms of the country. The event was opened by Ihor Rozkladai, the Deputy Director of Center for Democracy and Rule of Law and one of the authors of the public media law.

In his opening speech, Mykyta Poturaiev, an MP and the Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, spoke about the price of negligence which resulted in the fact that our society has understood the value of own Ukrainian information space only now.

“Suspilne is more than just a TV channel. Suspilne is more than just radio broadcasting. Suspilne is more than just a public broadcaster, it is a reform. The existence of the public service media is the marker, being, in my opinion, one of the most important ones. Not because it is my and my colleagues' area of responsibility, but because I sincerely believe so. This is one of key parts of Ukraine's democratic reforms. You cannot treat Suspilne as just a set of television, radio channels and digital space. Suspilne Ukraine is the part of Ukraine’s democratic system. So, any attempts to encroach on the public broadcaster’s independence, the standards, based on which the public broadcaster operates, encroach on Ukraine’s democratic system.”

Rostyslav Karandieiev, Acting Minister of Culture of Ukraine, talked about the role of Suspilne in making the democracy.

“Democracy is expensive in a way that it requires to fund procedures, to fund diversity, while diversity is always more expensive than monopoly, than global unification processes. Therefore, today, in addition to one more discussion regarding the unified news, we constantly face the issue of funding level of such projects as Suspilne Ukraine.

Today, the Ministry has met the requirement of the state, namely, we submitted the sum of funding to the budget request as stipulated in the law. And this way it should be. If we cannot meet any provision of law, then the law should be amended and surely not violated. And, maybe, no amendments should be made, but we should simply do as written. Thus, most likely, I am even sure of that, the economic advantage of funding democracy, and Suspilne is the voice thereof, will be much bigger than the so-called savings, which in reality aren’t the ones, gained from underfunding of democratic processes.”

Stefan Schleuning, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Ukraine, emphasized that public television and media are a cornerstone of democracy and every country that had been transformed into a democratic state has always relied on media as a cornerstone of democracy.

“Suspilne has to fight for freedom and, alongside other media outlets, promote journalism that is at the front line of Ukraine’s European transformation. Today, more than ever, the broadcaster has to maintain a strong digital presence and be effective within the current media landscape.

As a public service broadcaster, Suspilne must spend funds effectively, as stipulated in the Constitution. But it is not just about maintaining independent television, it is about strengthening Ukraine’s protection, Ukraine’s defense in the information war. Kyiv is currently a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and the nation’s bravery. And we see it as part of the EU, it must be more than just the harmonization of legislation and some reforms. Any democracy and the supremacy of law always go hand in hand with the freedom of speech. Today we celebrate journalists, officials and public leaders from big and small communities. In the EU, we want to acknowledge the importance of your country, you are a force that does not exist in the neighboring country. Even now, you constantly change situations for the better. We believe that freedom will prevail and the European Union, as our President has said, will stand by your side for as long as needed”.

Julie Koenen, the USAID Mission Director for Ukraine, emphasized the importance of verified and reliable news.

“In times of peace, as well as in times of war, news isn’t just a flow of information, it’s the lifeblood of democracy and a cornerstone of daily life. For ordinary citizens, it’s important to receive information not only to understand the world around them but also to take an active part in it... Essentially, news gives us authority. We may want to grasp the complexities of wartime, as it currently happens in Ukraine, or, as I hope, to build a more harmonious society in times of peace. News connects us to reality, it’s our guide to action and our voice for creating the future. Staying informed isn’t just a right, it’s also an obligation, which is important for the well-being of any society and the achievement of common goals. Whether or not a public service broadcaster has good funding, it’s a crucial part of a country’s future as a democratic and sovereign state. And a key step on the path to EU membership. Ukraine has enough voices in the public sphere. Suspilne Ukraine is a particularly strong part of your media landscape.”

Suspilne Ukraine is an independent media company with a strong coverage across all platforms: Pershyi, Suspilne Kultura, Suspilne Sport TV channels and a national network of regional channels; Ukrainske Radio, Radio Promin, Radio Kultura, Radiotochka radio stations. Read only verified news on the suspilne.media website, national and local digital platforms. We are broadcasting in the languages of national communities, representing Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest, developing the children’s resource Brobaks and teaching the media community at the Public Media Academy. We have Suspilne Mediateka  which is a platform of unique video and audio of Suspilne from the 1950s until today. We’re defending freedoms in Ukraine.

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* Note:

The conference was made possible due to the assistance of American people given through the USAID-funded Media Program in Ukraine, which is implemented by international organization Internews Network.