Civic Movement “Stop Censorship!” founded

28 prominent figures in the media are on the Coordination Council of the civic movement formed today “Stop Censorship!”. They were elected at a meeting of media representatives aimed at fighting censorship held on 21 May at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

The meeting agreed a statement and put forward candidates for the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council.

Members of the Coordination Council

Julia Bankova, UTV1 [First National Channel]

Anna Bezulyk, TV Presenter

Darka Chepak, “Shuster Live”

Ilona Dovhan, «1+1»

Vitaliy Haidukevych, «1+1»

Serhiy Harmash, “Ostriv” [an Internet publication]

Vakhtang Kipiani, independent journalist

Tetyana Kotyuznynska, Association of Media Lawyers

Iryna Korol, TONIS

Serhiy Kudimov, «1+1»

Ihor Kulyas, Internews Ukraine

Yaroslav Kutsai, Institute of Journalism

Kostyantyn Kvurt, Internews Ukraine

Serhiy Leshchenko, “Ukrainska Pravda”

Natalya Ligachova, “Telekritika”

Kateryna Myasnykova, Independent Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters

Julia Mostova, “Dzerkalo Tyzhnya” [“The Weekly Mirror”]

Mustafa Nayem, “Shuster Live”, “Ukrainska Pravda”

Jean Novoseltsev, «1+1»

Myroslav Otkovych, «1+1»

Osman Pashaev, STB [СТБ]

Taras Shevchenko, Media Law Institute

Roman Skrypin, TVi

Yehor Sobolyev, “Svidomo” [Journalist investigation bureau]

Natalya Sokolenko, STB

Viktor Soroka, ICTV

Viktoria Syumar, Institute for Mass Information

Sviatoslav Tsyholko, Channel 5

The main objectives of the movement are to:

• Protect the professional, labour and civic rights of all members of the Movement, including those who signed statements issued by journalists from the TV channels “1+1” and STB;
• Counter any attempts to impose censorship in the Ukrainian media;
• Prevent all attempts to obstruct legitimate journalist activities, to put pressure on journalists to engage in self-censorship;
• Carry out a wide-scale and long-term public campaign against censorship and obstruction of journalists’ activities, involving the broadest range of civic organizations and civic activists in Ukraine and abroad;
• Monitor professional standards on television news broadcasts on all leading television channels in Ukraine;
• Provide information without delay about cases where publicly significant issues and stories are being hushed up or twisted;
• Promote self-regulation in the media sphere