Ukrainian officials often say they support free press, but they also like seeing positive articles about themselves. To make sure that happens, some press services resort to paid articles, known as dzhynsa. According to media watchdog Institute of Mass Information, the Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov, one of Ukraine’s prominent but also tight-lipped officials, has been added to that list.
“It seems
that the (recent parliamentary) elections significantly reduced the budgets of
major political forces and they stopped spending on dzhynsa… Its main protagonists
in the post-election period are Serhiy Arbuzov and (Minister of Revenues and
Duties) Oleksandr Klymenko,” Institute of Mass Information analysts Roman
Kabachiy and Viktoria Siumar wrote in February in their analysis for Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper.
The latest
wave of positive articles about Arbuzov, a former central bank head, appeared in
Ukrainian regional media in May-July. According to Lviv-based journalist
Nazariy Zanoz, a number of favorable articles about Arbuzov appeared in
newspapers from western and central Ukraine. Some were absolutely identical to
one another, Zanoz observed.
Three
articles about Arbuzov in local newspapers from Chernivtsi, Ternopil and
Cherkasy featured the byline of Olga Kashpor. The same name has a famous broadcast journalist at 1+1 TV
channel. She says she had nothing to do with the articles, and immediately decided
to investigate the incident. Kashpor said she called the three editorial
offices, where two editors confirmed they had published these articles as a “promotion.”
“I was
talking to the chief editor of the Bukovyna newspaper Anatoliy Isak. He didn’t
hesitate to tell me in a friendly way that he got the text ‘by carrier pigeon’ directly
from Arbuzov’s press service. That’s why they didn’t change anything and left the
original signature. According to Isak, this article has been posted ‘as
advertising.’ However, there’s no advertisement sign next to the article,”
Kashpor says.
Staff from Cherkaskiy
Kray (Cherkasy Region) claim they also received a story from Kyiv-based public
relations agent Larysa Gutsulyak. The newspaper’s editor said it was not a big
deal to publish paid materials, and the journalist shouldn’t be concerned about
not notifying readers this was an advertisement, Kashpor says. The editor of
the third newspaper based in Ternopil was not available for comment.
Arbuzov’s
press secretary Oleksandr Kutereshchyn, however, denies all allegations. He told
the Kyiv Post the allegations have to be verified, after which he will be able
to provide a more substantive response. Kutereshchyn also stressed that Arbuzov’s
press service has never asked the press to publish any articles about the deputy
prime minister.
In mid-July,
Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mustafa Nayem reported that intermediaries had offered
about $1,000 to bloggers for writing positive posts about Arbuzov. According to
Nayem, they had to emphasize Arbuzov’s effective communication with parliament.
The deputy
prime minister is known for shying away from public appearances, and communicating
with the press.
Kyiv Post staff writer Kateryna Kapliuk can be reached at [email protected].
