The National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine did not support the decision on registration of the online media outlet of the Journalists against Corruption CSO. This has been reported by Detector Media. The regulator made this decision at a meeting on May 23.
While considering the issue, Deputy Head Oleh Chernysh pointed out that there was openly available information about the company violating ethics and selling journalist licenses to individuals who do not engage in journalistic activities. The website of the organization reported that everyone could become a journalist, listing the benefits of this status (the opportunity to get a permit to carry firearms; to be an observer at elections). This was done in return for membership fees.
He cited the decision by the Commission on Journalistic Ethics from 2020. We remind you, the Commission on Journalistic Ethics publicly condemned editor-in-chief of Journalists against Corruption and leader of the CSO National Union of Independent Journalists of Ukraine Serhii Kot, urging him to stop providing the status of a journalist for money to individuals who do not engage in journalism and to stop advertising to such individuals. The Commission found his actions to be in violation of the Ethics Code of the Ukrainian Journalist, namely clause 17 — “illegal receipt of material remuneration or any other benefits by a journalist for completion or non-completion of a journalistic material is incompatible with the status of a journalist. A journalist must not abuse the official position for personal reasons, for profit, self-promotion, for career purposes and guided by the desire to accommodate certain forces or individuals. A journalist may not use financial information before its publication for the purpose of personal enrichment.”
According to Oleh Chernysh, the decision of the Commission was supported by the Council on Freedom of Speech. Media movement Media for Informed Decisions reported this to law enforcement.
Previously, Journalists against Corruption operated based on a public registration license as a news agency.
However, after the law “On Media” enters into force, all news agencies must register with the National Council.
Oleh Chernysh said he had no questions to the documents per se, but he did say that due to the announced information he would not support this decision.
Head of Journalists against Corruption Serhii Kot denied this at the meeting. According to him, the police conducted a pre-trial investigation and there are no grounds for initiating a case and sending it to court. He also claimed to have a personal conflict with Andrii Kulykov: “All the way back in 2015, we disagreed.” He believes the decision of the Commission is due to this. He noted that the Charter of his organization included membership fees, which is allowed by law. About 500 people work in his organization, and journalists publish materials once a month.
Therefore, he asked to register his media outlet Journalists against Corruption.
“Not having a single press card is a huge problem. I wouldn’t want this to continue,” said First Deputy Head Valentyn Koval.
The decision proposed to register the media. However, none of the members of the National Council present at the meeting supported this decision.
Serhii Kot said that he intended to appeal the decision of the National Council.