International Media Law Summer School

At 2005- 2008 the MLI held four annual Media Law Summer School in Kyiv. Since 2006 Media Law Summer School had the international status. International Media Law Summer School is an intensive training course for lawyers on different media law issues: freedom of expression and freedom of information, protection of honor, dignity and business reputation, regulation of TV and radio broadcasting, regulation of Internet etc.

Special attention is given to International and European standards in the sphere of media law, in particular, to the European Convention of Human Rights and case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Over the course of three weeks trainings, lectures, seminars and moot courts carry out. Qualified experts from Ukraine and other countries, judges, representatives of the European Court of Human Right conducted trainings for the Summer School participants.

The objectives of conducting International Media Law Summer School are:

• raising professional level of lawyers in the sphere of Media Law;
• raising level of legal protection of mass media;
• networking of media lawyers from different regions and different countries;
• raising level of legislation drafting skills of media lawyers.

There were participants from 10 countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Russia and Tajikistan. Participants included senior students, lecturers from institutions of higher learning, lawyers and attorneys.

Besides formal studies, there were organized some actions to get participants into contact. For example, the Summer School participants made the presentations about their countries.

Organization of the Independent Council of Experts for Media Activities During Elections

The Media Law Institute was the initiator and one of the creators of the Independent Council of Experts for media activities during elections. There were 14 participants in the Council and two of them represented the MLI. MLI Director Taras Shevchenko was elected as Council head. The Independent Council was founded on February 7, 2006 on the initiative on the OSCE and consists of 12 experts (8 out of 12 are U-Media partners).

Considering that the target of the council’s activities overlapped the MLI’s tasks, the institute paid great attention to organization of the council’s activities. In particular, MLI wrote all drafts of experts’ conclusions, organized meetings, press conferences, and roundtable meetings; announced the decisions; coordinated work with the National Council on TV and Radio Broadcasting (NCTRB).

On request of the NCTRB, the Independent Council of Experts reviewed video and audio materials and made recommendations on the possibility of their broadcasting.

Both regional and national TV channels (such as 1+1 and UT-1) took the conclusions of the Council of Experts into consideration. The success of the Independent Council of Experts was significantly related to MLI’s active participation in its activities.

Changes to the Law “On Elections of MPs of Ukraine”

On 2005 the Media Law Institute (MLI) initiated and actively supported a public discussion on making changes to the law “On Elections of MPs of Ukraine.” As a result, the changes were introduced. Several changes relating to the pre-election advertising and the media outlets were adopted. In particular, changes were adapted to the definition of pre-election advertising, the right of a media outlet to reject political propaganda or political advertising, limitation of responsibilities of a media outlet for placement of materials ordered by candidates, and election coverage in the media. The parliament adopted the law on November 17, 2005. On December 8, 2005, the law became active.

On 2006 - 2007 MLI continued working on amendments election legislation. This was done using expert possibilities of the Public Council on Freedom of Speech and Information (headed by Mr. Taras Shevchenko, MLI Director) in very close cooperation with Central Election Commission. Some of these amendments were passed by the Verkhovna Rada and were signed by the President of Ukraine. Particularly, the Parliament of Ukraine supported MLI idea to decrease amount of time provided on this elections for political parties in state and municipal media for the funds of the State Budget. This provided economy of dozen million hryvnas.

Initiative against corruption in mass media “Won’t be sold”

MLI become one of the initiators and active participants the journalists action “Won’t be sold”. The activity is aimed at fighting against paid news on national TV channels of Ukraine. The initiative was set up on November, 2007 by some journalists at the head of Egor Sobolev. It consist in permanent monitoring of the news on all national channels with the purpose of revelation of paid materials, materials that lacks standards of objectiveness, balance and non bias. MLI provides for total legal support of the initiative as its members are at risk at least of defamation suits. Also MLI director Taras Shevchenko is one of the experts on the board that makes decisions about which material should be considered paid. These experts makes final decision after the monitoring is done by journalists. MLI is seeking for journalists’ standards to be increased in Ukraine.

MLI has prepared Model Editorial Statute for TV and Radio Company

MLI has prepared the Model Editorial Statute for TV and Radio Company. According to existing Law on Television and Radio every TV and Radio Company was obliged to adopt own Editorial Code; this Editorial Statute should be also published and submitted to the National Council on TV and Radio.

At first, the Model Editorial Statute for TV and Radio Company determined the principles of editorial policy of TV and Radio Companies, in particular the regulations on spreading the personal information, crimes, various national groups, political parties etc. The Model Editorial Statute also regulated the activity of the Editorial Council, which must be organized by every TV and Radio Company.

The body calls upon to see to observe the statute regulations and media legislation, to control the journalists’ rights protection. The Model Editorial Statute for TV and Radio Company prepared by MLI was published and given for free using for every TV and Radio broadcasters interested in it.

In particular it is worth to be mentioned that the Statute of National Television Company of Ukraine was prepared on basis of the Model Editorial Statute for TV and Radio Company prepared by MLI.