‘Unprecedented level of media control’: The State Department criticized the Ukrainian telethon

The US State Department has criticized the Ukrainian telethon and the country’s failure to uphold the right to freedom of speech.

This information reported according to the latest report by the department on human rights violations worldwide.

The telethon is mentioned in a negative context in the document.

“The Constitution and the law provide for freedom of expression, including for the press and other media outlets, but authorities did not always respect these rights,” the document states.

As an example, it cites “restrictions on the media and freedom of the press,” which began after the imposition of martial law in Ukraine.

“For example, the national television marathon – a platform for channels that adhere to the government line in covering the war – provided an unprecedented level of control over television news in prime time. Moreover, some media outlets reported being sidelined from lucrative broadcasting contracts and facing pressure from the President’s Office as early as spring 2022,” the report says.

It also mentions that “authorities have banned, blocked, or sanctioned media outlets and individual journalists deemed threats to national security or expressing views that, according to the authorities, undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.”

Additionally, critics of the government have also been blacklisted. They “sometimes faced negative campaigns on social media, sometimes through government-friendly channels.”

Meanwhile, surveys show that Ukrainians’ trust in the telethon “Unified News” is decreasing. In the Verkhovna Rada, it was stated that the telethon could be shut down if it does not change its format by the end of this year, restoring citizens’ trust.