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Strengthening public interest in Ukraine’s media sector

While political influence overshadows the media in Ukraine, Anna Korbut looks at attempts to challenge the status quo to improve professional standards, media literacy and public trust.

Research paper Updated 17 May 2021 Published 23 April 2021 ISBN: 978 1 78413 435 8

Ukrainian journalists wait to ask questions at a press conference.

Anna Korbut

Former Academy Associate, Russia and Eurasia Programme

The media environment in Ukraine is complex, diverse and competitive. While major oligarch-controlled outlets focus on political influence and commercial gain, a group of smaller media stakeholders are trying to maintain quality and journalism standards in the public interest.

This paper documents the main media sector developments in Ukraine since 2014 and examines the current landscape and key stakeholders. It looks at new projects and experiments in the field that could eventually benefit the domestic media environment. This includes efforts to improve the country’s culture of media production and consumption, and proposed changes to legislation governing the sector.

International assistance and regulatory oversight are essential for improving transparency and resilience in Ukraine’s media sector, but equally important are an infrastructure of support for quality journalism and media literacy efforts.

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Summary

The media environment in Ukraine is complex, diverse and competitive. Most of the country’s outlets are privately owned by high-profile Ukrainians who tend to use them for political influence. However, a small number of media organizations uphold high standards of professionalism and integrity and are vital for shaping domestic political and social debate. These are mostly in print and online but also include some broadcasters, such as Suspilne, and international donor-funded multimedia platforms.
Ukraine has a vibrant community of media experts, activists and NGOs that monitor and analyse the sector. These individuals and organizations create development initiatives, advocate reforms and, to a certain extent, perform self-regulatory functions. Platforms for discussions among media professionals are contributing to an evolving industry culture. But they face challenges including limited authority to implement changes; unsustainable funding, often reliant on international donors; and a lack of consensus on ethical and quality standards within the media community.
Many outlets provide content for free and domestic audiences are accustomed to this practice. However, there are efforts in Ukraine to encourage consumers to pay for quality content. From early 2020, the biggest media organizations began restricting free access to their output. Meanwhile, smaller independent media are offering subscription and membership models to improve their economic sustainability. The COVID-19 crisis has pushed media organizations to be more proactive in creating business models that do not solely rely on advertising.
Ukraine’s media landscape is threatened by the disruption of traditional information delivery methods and consumption patterns; fake news and disinformation; a changing media economy; competition from social media and tech giants; and political turbulence and hostile actors, particularly Russia.
Reforms in media regulation – in addition to those in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies – could limit the influence of media owners and protect outlets from political actors determined to attack journalists or manipulate content. Furthermore, support for sustainable revenue models, technological capacity-building and better brand recognition could focus on independent outlets that lack the resources to compete with oligarch-owned media. Improved media literacy efforts are also important for creating long-term audience demand for quality content.