Journalists and media watchdogs handed out “anti-awards” in a campaign to uproot paid-for journalism from the country’s television screens
Journalists and media watchdogs handed out the first “antiawards” in a campaign to uproot paidfor journalism from the country’s television screens in Kyiv on Dec. 11.
While media freedoms have significantly improved since the Orange Revolution, before which tycoons and top officials brainwashed viewers with propaganda, slanted reporting that is paid-for under the table is still common. Yet honest, determined journalists have been fighting back.
The volunteer “We are not for sale!” initiative, launched in Kyiv last month, identified 12 companies and individuals suspected of having paid for news reports on six national television channels in November.
The list of paid-for news buyers was led by state-owned nuclear power plant holding Energoatom, recently headed by Regions Party lawmaker Andriy Derkach. The ICTV channel, owned by billionaire Viktor Pinchuk, was found to have aired the greatest number of questionable reports last month.
Organizers showed off a $1 million bill bearing the portrait of media magnate Derkach, whom they suspect has spent six figures of budgetary funds on buying news reports.
“We are not for sale!” also sent a money order via post to Oleksandr Bohutsky, general director of the ICTV new channel. Bohutsky was wired Hr 30 ($6) to symbolize the 30 silver pieces Judas received for his betrayal in the Bible.
“Personal responsibility must be borne,” said news and talk show host Yegor Sobolev, who organized the initiative.
Covert monitors
Sobolev said that a clandestine network of journalists working in the newsrooms of 11 national channels provided transcripts and information of reports being “ordered” into broadcasts by management last month. Sobolev said reports were ordered off the air as well.
The guerilla journalists’ names are kept secret, but the names of the people who analyzed the monitoring reports are not. Five experts from the media watchdog community selected 26 reports that “screamingly” violated the standards of journalism in their actuality, societal significance and balance.
More than double that number of questionable news items was submitted but only the most flagrant incidents that violated all three journalistic standards were considered in the final ranking. Unanimity among the five experts was also a requirement for inclusion.
The group that judged the reports included Natalia Ligachova of the Telekritika media watchdog, Viktoria Siumar of the Institute of Mass Information, Taras Shevchenko from the Media Law Institute, Vitaliy Maksymov of the Delo daily and Ihor Kulias of the Internews-Ukraine media and NGO network.
November’s 26 worst reports
More than a third of the 26 nightly news items were devoted to Energoatom, who watchdogs said used state budget funds to pay for favorable reports on three national channels with help from the Radnyk PR agency.
The biggest news-buyer award went to 40-year-old Derkach, who served as president of Energoatom for more than a year before taking a seat in parliament in the Party of Regions’ faction.
The Pidsumky program on Derkach’s Era television channel was found to have aired seven news reports that violated journalistic standards. Era, which takes over the airwaves of state-owned Pershiy Natsionalny channel every weekday morning and night, is part of Derkach’s multimedia empire, which includes Radio Era, Kievski Telegraf and Internet websites.
Four reports were suspected of having been paid for by the two sides fighting for Ukrtatnafta, a Kremenchuk-based oil refinery.
Two reports each for former President Leonid Kuchma’s book presentation, the Ukrgazvydobuvanya natural gas extractor and the Brovary District State Administration, were deemed to be dubious.
The other state structures that seem to have benefited from yellow journalism last month included the Ukrzaliznytsya railway monopoly and the Tenderna Palata state procurement department. The list of private-sector sponsors of news reports includes structures controlled by Regions leader Rinat Akhmetov and Russian businessman Vadim Novinsky.
Transcripts of the suspect news items were posted on the Telekritika website. The texts include such gems as, “Ukraine is on the verge of running out of its own natural gas” and “Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant sets an example for European atomic stations.”
TV news sellers
The greatest number of suspect stories – 11 – was aired last month by ICTV in its nightly Fakty program, earning Bohutsky the Hr 30 money order. ICTV is part of a three-channel family controlled by Pinchuk, former President Leonid Kuchma’s son-in-law. All three channels, including Novy Kanal and STB, made the rating.
Seven of 11 national news programs were found to have contained at least one suspect report. But passing off even one suspect report as genuine news should be cause for concern, according to Ligachova.
“Tomorrow there will be two, the day after, 10,” she said.
Defending reactions
The head of Energoatom’s press service said that he would not comment “on the cheap initiative of five or 10 people who want to see their names in the press.”
Vasyl Meterchuk said that Energoatom is obligated to inform the public about the state and safety of nuclear power.
“Nuclear power is different from coal mining or machine building. Our sociology shows that the public wants to stay informed about the nuclear power industry. If people tell us they are no loner interested, then we will stop informing them,” he said.
ICTV’s press service said that no comments concerning the accusation would be forthcoming from the channel.
Ligachova told journalists that a public reaction to the rating by the worst offenders is unlikely. She said the initiative has been accused of being either a deliberate smear campaign or taking sides in specific business conflicts, adding that when confronted with the findings, the violators claimed to be victims themselves.
“What they don’t understand is that journalists will write about their successes and good deeds voluntarily once they put an end to paying for news reports,” Ligachova said.
There were only four cameras at the “We are not for sale!” event, none from the channels found offending in the rating.
Journalists that sell
Four broadcasters came away with a clean record in the rating, including market leader Inter, state-owned Pershy Natsionalny, Tonis and the mostly-news Channel 5. Sobolev alternates as the nightly news presenter for Channel 5’s flagship Chas program.
Sobolev said that one anchor was identified as presenting the greatest number of questionable reports during November. He did not provide a name, but said, “We want to give our colleague the chance to correct himself.”
In January, the not-for-sale journalists will start naming those who are.
