Activity Details (ID# 12351)

Activity Synopsis

The general objective of the seminar was to provide journalists and editors from the National Radio and Television of Ukraine with practical training on the coverage of elections in accordance with the CoE standards (Recommandation No. R (99) 15 on measures concerning media coverage of election campaigns) in the perspective of the forthcoming Parliamentary elections in March 2006. 

The seminar was opened by Mr Viktor Petrenko, First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine. In his opening remarks, Mr Petrenko referred to the general position of journalism in Ukraine, the tasks and responsibilities of journalists working for radio and television. He stressed that new legislation on freedom of expression and public broadcasting was still under discussion in Parliament. Other topics he mentioned were the rights and protection of journalists, especially for those working for radio and television.

The first part of the programme was a presentation on the basic principles of covering elections. This was followed by a presentation on subjects journalists have to pay attention to during elections in the period before the official campaign commences.

Participants were asked to come up with new and creative ideas to cover elections in a fair, objective and attractive manner. Some of them could not see many opportunities because of the Ukrainian legislation that limits journalists in expressing opinions and giving comments during the official campaign period; others turned out to be more creative. Some examples of the coverage of elections and other political affairs in western European countries were presented by experts.

Other topics were how to organise political debates during the election period in an attractive format for listeners and viewers and how to deal with opinion polls. The result was a lively discussion.

Special attention was paid to the influence that government bodies, political parties, individual politicians and other interest groups in Ukraine have on the covering of elections. In Western Europe the ownership of the mass media is in the hands of commercial companies. In Ukraine there still are a lot of direct and indirect ties with political movements. Also the way to avoid to be part in a campaign of ‘Black PR’ received much attention.
 

The seminar was very useful for the participants. All participants stressed the importance of such seminars. This kind of activity provides the opportunity to exchange their experience with the Council of Europe experts, as well as with their colleagues from different Ukrainian regions and to learn about the practice in other European countries. 

Journalists and editors from radio and TV stations from Kyiv and Ukrainian regions 

Mr David van der HOUWEN, Director of Streamline Communications, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Mr Gie Meeuwis, journalism trainer, Brussels, Belgium
 

Mr Olexander Pavlichenko, Director of the Information Office of the Council of Europe in Kyiv, Co-ordinator of the Action Plan for the media in Ukraine
Ms Lejla Dervisagic, Media Division, Directorate General of Human Rights