As the Russian invasion moves into its 15th month, Ukraine’s journalists are grappling with the problem of how to protect press freedom while reporting on the brutal military campaign against their country.
The government has passed a number of new rules governing the work of the media during wartime. These include severe restrictions on journalists’ access to frontline areas and a stronger role for state broadcasting, such as the United News Marathon, a 24/7 news show broadcast across most major TV channels.
These moves, officials argue, are necessary to combat Russian disinformation campaigns designed to sow confusion in Ukrainian society, as well as the need to align Ukraine’s media legislation with the European Union – a requirement of the country’s EU candidacy.
