The seminar “Media Self-Regulation: Rules for a New Reality”

From April 23 to 27, 2025, the seminar “Media Self-Regulation: Rules for a New Reality” was held in the village of Polyana, Mukachevo district, Zakarpattia region.

The seminar was organized by the OSCE and the Commission on Journalism Ethics.

The seminar was attended by
Karin Roehlke, Senior Advisor, OSCE Support Program for Ukraine;
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech;
Bettina Ruigis, Senior Adviser, Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in Vienna;
Andriy Kulikov, Head of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, journalist, TV and radio host, co-founder of Hromadske Radio;
Andriy Kulakov, Program Director of Internews Ukraine, Program Coordinator of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Community Program;
Viktor Chernyshuk, Lithuanian journalist, president of the European Association of Journalists RUNE MEDIA;
Maksym Onoprienko, member of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting;
Olha Prokopenko, OSCE Media Project Manager of the OSCE Support Program for Ukraine;
Oleksiy Pogorelov, member of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, President of the Ukrainian Media Business Association;
Tetyana Lebedieva, member of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, public figure and media manager, honorary chairman of the National Media Association;
Yuriy Bidzilya, Doctor of Science in Social Communications, Dean of the Faculty of Philology at Uzhhorod National University;
Representatives of 25 Ukrainian media outlets.
Over the course of 4 days, journalists lively discussed important aspects of media regulation, co-regulation and self-regulation.
These topics are related to a wide range of problems that were discussed by the seminar participants. In the end, the main theses of the seminar were about quality journalism.
- In the context of the war in Ukraine, the awareness of responsibility and self-regulation are of particular importance.
- Quality journalism, truth - as opposed to lies and manipulations - is a great value, not only for informing, but also for the life, sustainability and mental health of society.
- The emergence of artificial intelligence tools is a new challenge for the media. And when journalists and media use these tools in their professional activities, it is important not to violate certain ethical rules.
- Self-regulation is necessary and beneficial not only for society, but also for media and journalists to strengthen their reputation and increase their level of trust. And the trust of the audience is the highest value for the media. And in the difficult conditions of war, it can contribute to the survival and viability of the newsroom.
- The process of self-regulation has different forms and formats. But the main thing in it is the conscious participation of each and every one of us, the awareness of our own responsibility. That is why the principle of “do no harm” should be the main principle in the work of journalists and media today.
- Self-regulation in Ukraine will work effectively when a critical number of journalists and editorial offices become ambassadors of this process.
The collective achievements of the seminar participants in a shortened form:
- In the process of self-regulation, the main thing is the readiness of the media to take responsibility for the content and quality of information, for compliance with standards and serving the interests of the audience
- Military topics, war coverage, require additional attention, but at the same time, they should also rely on the important social role of the media, take care of the audience's trust
- The role of the media today is extremely important for Ukrainians, including because society is traumatized. Therefore, it is important to tell the truth, to unite, and not to cause additional trauma to what is already happening.
- There is a demand for effective tools for interaction between journalists and the government. An example is the discussion about censorship, i.e. the boundaries of “official information” and “forbidden moments”
- The war is on, and it is very important to be honest with your audience. Yes, we need to help people be united, but it is equally important to be honest with them
- Being critical of the government does not mean only pointing out shortcomings. It also means showing solutions, if they exist
- It makes sense to announce that artificial intelligence has been used. The audience needs to know this, but the use of AI should help the media improve the quality of materials
- It is important to keep the focus on not violating standards while making money. We are talking about “ecological earnings”.
- The same goes for headlines: when trying to make them “clickable,” it is important to take care of trust and not to injure the audience