Mass media in Ukraine

Television, magazines, and newspapers are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues.

Electronic media (TV and radio), which are government-licensed, are mostly in Ukrainian, while print newspapers, which only require a formal registration, are published in Russian.

However, local media observers express concern over high monetary damages that at times were demanded and awarded for alleged libel.

[7][8] In February 2015, the law "On protection information television and radio space of Ukraine," banned the showing (on Ukrainian television and in cinemas[9]) of "audiovisual works" that contain "popularization, propaganda, propaganda, any action of law enforcement agencies, armed forces, other military, military or security forces of an invader" was enacted.

The Council has often been in conflict with Russia-based TV channels broadcasting cross-border in Ukraine, as they are deemed in breach of Ukrainian legislation on language, advertisement, and erotic and violent contents.

In 2018 this body mainly responsible on pravatisation of the state print press, banning foreign books, which spread hate speech, justifies a Russian aggression etc.

[4] The National Expert Commission of Ukraine on the Protection of Public Morality, established by the government in 2004, was an advising body to examine the media and detect sexual and violent contents.

[15][16] The decline in advertising revenues has left media outlets even more dependent on support from politicised owners, hence hindering their editorial independence.

Two of them are foreign owned: Burda-Ukraine (of the German holding Hubert Burda Media, and Edipress-Ukraine of the Swiss company Edipresse.

National newspapers include Den and Zerkalo Nedeli; and tabloids such as The Ukrainian Week or Focus (Russian) are published there too.

Newspapers, magazines and general audience mass media are usually owned by groups affiliated with political-economic conglomerates (oligarchs), with serious repercussions on the independence and impartiality of the press.

[20] Television in Ukraine was introduced in 1951 as a part of the State Committee of TV and radio broadcasting of USSR, and remains the favourite medium of Ukrainians.

He invented his own cinematic style, Ukrainian poetic cinema, which was totally out of step with the guiding principles of socialist realism.

Many Ukrainian actors have achieved international fame and critical success, including: Vera Kholodnaya, Bohdan Stupka, Milla Jovovich, Olga Kurylenko, and Mila Kunis.

Despite a history of important and successful productions, the industry has often been characterised by a debate about its identity and the level of Russian and European influence.

Also successful films had been based on Ukrainian people, stories or events, including Battleship Potemkin, Man with a Movie Camera, and Everything Is Illuminated.

The entire population of Ukraine now has telephone and/or mobile phone connection;[27] Internet access is universally available in cities and main transport corridors, expanding into smaller settlements.

[13] Ukraine's telecommunication development plan emphasizes further improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system.

[32] Aside from web portals and search engines, the most popular websites are Vk, YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook, Livejournal, EX.UA and Odnoklassniki.

[33] Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM) (former Media Law Institute (MLI)) - nonprofit think-and-act tank, which has been working in the civil society sector of Ukraine since 2005 channelling its efforts for development of independent media, support of civic platforms and movements, and building a legal state in Ukraine.

It organises trainings for journalists, public events and projects to improve news quality, surveys, studies and monitoring.

[36] Organisations based on corporate membership represent the interests of media owners and receive their financial support.

Following the Russian invasion, the government expanded its control over media and government-controlled news started to be broadcast around the clock on all channels.

[1] The main concerns of this organization were the handling of pro-Russian propaganda, the concentration of media ownership, and the high risks of violence against journalists, especially in the conflict areas in the east.

[41] In October 2016 amendments to media legislation came into force giving broadcasters and program service providers six months time "to disclose detailed information about their ownership structures, including the identities of ultimate beneficiaries".

[45] According to Ambeyi Ligabo (UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression from 2002 to 2008) these are amongst the most notable deficiencies in the Ukraine media environment.

Also, the state-owned Ukrposhta has a monopoly on press delivery in some regions and constitutes another barrier to the development of private publishers, because of its inefficiency and constant price increases.

[45] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western companies invested in Ukrainian television, but later sold their shares to locals—mainly oligarchs—and left the market.

Problems included a "lack of stable, transparent business regulation, the widespread corruption, and the uneasy relationships between the media and politicians".

Following his inauguration, US President Trump ordered a 90–day freeze on foreign aid through USAID, which included support of Ukraine's media.