US State Department cites Ukraine's national newscast in human rights violations report

The US State Department mentioned Yedyni Novyny [United News, the national joint 24/7 newscast] in its report on human rights violations in 2023 as an example of freedom of expression infringement.

The State Department notes that the Ukrainian Constitution and laws provide for freedom of expression, including for the press and other media, but the authorities did not always respect these rights. 

In February 2022, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy signed a decree introducing martial law, which allowed for further restrictions on the media and freedom of the press.

"For example, the national TV Marathon – a rotating platform of channels that take the government line on war reporting – enabled an unprecedented level of control over primetime television news. Moreover, some media outlets reported being removed from lucrative terrestrial broadcasting contracts and pressure from the Office of the President as early as the spring of 2022," the report states.

The report asserts that the government banned, blocked, or imposed sanctions on media and individual journalists, which were considered a threat to national security or expressing positions that, in the government's view, undermined the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Some speakers who were critical of the government were also blacklisted from government-directed news programming. Investigative journalists critical of the government were sometimes targeted by negative social media campaigns, sometimes via government-friendly channels," the report says.

At the same time, the State Department noted that with a few exceptions, individuals in territories under the control of the Ukrainian government can usually publicly and privately criticise the government and discuss issues of public interest without fear of official reprisal.

In the November report of the European Commission on compliance with the principles of freedom of speech and expression, Ukraine received a slightly higher score than overall for the sector of fundamental rights.

The national joint 24/7 newscast essentially did not face criticism during that time – there was a sense of understanding of the context of the large-scale war and the need to maintain information security. However, as emphasised by the European Commission, after the end of martial law, there will be a need for a full restoration of pluralism.