New media law: Tool to fight Russian propaganda or censorship attempt?

Ukraine’s new media law, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in December, has triggered a major controversy. 

The law expands the powers of the media regulator, the National Council for Television and Radio. Specifically, it gives it the authority to block some media outlets without a court ruling. 

Its supporters argue that Ukraine needs a strong regulator to fight Russian propaganda and resist Russian aggression. 

But critics say that the media law can be used to censor pro-Ukrainian media critical of the incumbent government. 

The National Council for Television and Radio is fully controlled by Zelensky and cannot be considered an independent regulator, opponents of the law argue. 

Moreover, the Ukrainian authorities have recently cracked down not only on Russian propaganda but also on opposition media that have a consistently patriotic policy – such as channels affiliated with ex-President Petro Poroshenko. This creates the risk that the media law will be used to destroy media independent from the authorities, critics say. 

The Ukrainian authorities also argued that the law aims to bring Ukrainian legislation in line with EU law. 

Media reform is one of the EU's conditions for starting negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc. The EU wanted Ukraine to adopt legislation to fight the influence of vested interests on the media, ensure a competitive media market and introduce an independent regulator.

Critics of the law say that the EU aspect was used as a façade for expanding the regulator’s powers and that the law does not meet EU conditions anyway.

Mykyta Poturayev, the main author of the media law and head of parliament’s information policy committee, denied the accusations.

“The industry is never satisfied with the regulator’s actions,” he told the Kyiv Independent.