CRITERIA OF DISCRIMINATION IN THE MEDIA BY NATIONAL FEATURE

On March 30, 2023, the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine held the first of a series of meetings planned to discuss and define criteria for information that can be classified as intolerant and discriminatory based on national or religious affiliation. This meeting was dedicated to countering anti-Semitism in Ukrainian society. Scientists, journalists, and representatives of the country’s Jewish community were invited to the meeting.

Among the participants of the meeting were the head of the National Council Olga Herasimyuk, the responsible secretary of the National Council Olena Nitsko, the member of the National Council Maksym Onoprienko, the representative of the Secretariat of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights Elvina Kurtalieva, the expert of the Association of Jewish Public Organizations Vyacheslav Likhachev, experts of the media regulator and representatives of Jewish public organizations and institutions, experts on anti-Semitism, and others.

During the discussion

Anatoliy Podolskiy, a leading researcher of the Department of Ethnopolitics of our Institute, Candidate of Historical Sciences, took part in the discussion on the problem of confronting anti-Semitism in Ukraine during the Russian military aggression.

During his speech, the scientist drew attention to the fact that “there is anti-Semitism in the country, and it’s nothing to worry about. It is about the fact that it is marginal and is not mainstream in Ukrainian society.”

Anatoliy Podolskiy

 He reminded that Jews stood alongside Ukrainians in the protest movement during the Revolution of Dignity, and they are among the victims-heroes of the Maidan. Nowadays, many Jews are defending Ukraine at the front: “During the full-scale invasion and as early as 2014, there was a letter from the Jewish community, it is known, it is in open sources, where it is said that we share the fate of our own country, we are Ukrainian Jews… and there is no need to protect us”. Anatoly Podolskiy noted: “We consider Ukrainian Jews as a part of Ukrainian culture. The Jewish culture of Ukraine is Ukrainian culture.” This is exactly what the media should emphasize, such messages unite us.
Based on the results of the discussion on issues of anti-Semitism in the Ukrainian media, recommendations will be developed to which all participants will be able to provide their clarifications or suggestions.

More details about the meeting