New monitoring of journalist standards
From 1 July the Institute for Mass Information , together with “Telekritika”, will be monitoring the printed media to check adherence to journalist standards. The aim of the monitoring, part of a project supported by Internews Network, is to raise the level of media awareness in Ukrainian society and encourage the media to uphold high standards and form demand for quality journalism in Ukraine.
The monitoring will include major nationwide papers such as “Segodnya” [“Today”], “Facts and Commentaries”, “Ekonomicheskiye izvestia” and the journal “Korrespondent”/ They will also be assisted by local partner organizations in Lviv, Rivne, Donetsk and the Crimea.
Using a specially developed methodology each month an expert commission with Taras Shevhenko from the Media Law Institute, Yehor Sobolev and Ruslan Deinichenko will review the material for its compliance with journalist standards.
Material clearly marked as advertising will be considered from the point of view of its readability, as well as on how it complies with rules for such material.
Material not marked as advertising will be evaluated on the basis of the following:
- topicality of material
- public importance of the information
- balance (presentation of the main points of view);
- accuracy and reliability of the information (whether it has been checked).
The material will also be reviewed to identify concealed advertising (such indicators as the presence of identical or virtually identical material in different media outlets; the address of a shop or contact number of a firm, etc being given, and others).
The results of the monitoring will be published on a monthly basis in the form of reports on particular media outlets, or about each region.
From information at www.imi.org.ua