Even looking for the best work, a journalist has no right to stand on the one side of trial process

17.02.2017  

In February, 16-17, 2017, the workshop ‘How to write clearly on the judicial reform’ took place in Odesa. More than 20 journalists from different media of Ukraine could discuss the state of judicial reform implementing in Ukraine and understood how to cover the trial processes correctly.  

Event trainers (from the left to the right) – Valeriy Ivanov, Markian Halabala, Andrii Yurychko, Volodymyr Oliynyk

«Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has a task to educate a politically active citizen, - mentioned Volodymyr Oliynyk, the project coordinator in Ukraine and Belarus. – To realize the right of defense is essential for every Ukrainian. People should not be afraid of addressing the court to protect their rights, and journalists have to do everything for informing people about their rights and make them sure that trial processes are traced by journalists’.

‘To inform the society, give an objective evaluation and different opinions to high-profile trials is the direct responsibility of journalists, - pointed out Valeriy Ivanov, President of the Academy of Ukrainian Press. – Following the professional standards will increase the trust of people to media at the time when it is tremendously falling according to sociological surveys’.

‘A trial process always leaves the party unsatisfied with the court decision, - remarks Markian Halabala, Сand. Sc. Law. - Even looking for the best work, a journalist has no right to stand on the one side of trial process and become its attorney or supporter <…>’

‘Journalists are frequently complaining about the other judges refusing to comment on trial decisions without taking into account the forbiddance by the judicial ethics code to comment one’s colleague’s decision which has come into effect. – noticed Andrii Yurychko, media trainer, journalist and lecturer at the Institute of Journalism, T. Shevchenko Kyiv National University. – However, for instance, establishing of judge-speaker institution allows receiving this comment without addressing the anonymous sources’.

‘There not many lawyers in my circle of contacts, who could assist me in apprehending all the judicial specificities while writing the works about trial processes, therefore I was looking for some practical advice, - pointed out Serhii Chernyavskyi, training participant and journalist. – Besides that, it was important for me to discover about the information requests: how it is correctly to apply them, where to send, what to do if they are ignored. I have got these answers’.

A huge three-year joint project of the Academy of Ukrainian Press and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (with the supported of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany), is aimed at increasing of qualification level among Ukrainian journalists.

The event is organized by the Academy of Ukrainian Press in cooperation with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom with the supported of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany.

 

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