Media freedom in Ukraine in the context of constitutional reform

Abstract

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This paper discusses whether there have been changes to ensure media freedom in Ukraine in the context of constitutional reform. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: This is comparative explanatory research. The author uses a process-tracing method and an observation method to analyze media freedom under the presidential-parliamentary republic during the second term of Kuchma’s presidency and under a parliamentary-presidential republic during Yushchenko’s presidency. I summarize descriptive statistics on such indicators of media freedom as political, economic, and legal environment according to the Freedom House data. I also use the analysis of scholars and other non-governmental organizations. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The analysis of the political situation in Ukraine explains the reasons for the constitutional reform and the democratization of the media system. I systematize data from the Freedom House reports on the indicators, present the results in a graphic form, and make conclusions from the comparisons. RESEARCH RESULTS: The study shows that changing the political system to a parliamentary-presidential due to the Orange Revolution intensified reforms guaranteeing media freedom in Ukraine. However, the reforms were not at the level expected by the supporters of the Orange Revolution. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The introduction of the parliamentary-presidential model intensified the competition and conflicts between the presidential and parliamentary-government centers of power. It created polarized and chaotic conditions in journalists’ work. The legal environment for the media has not improved significantly. There was a reduction of political influence on the media. The improvement in the economic environment did not occur because the pressure exerted by the ruling elites on the mass media went from the political to the economic dimension.