Bolstering citizen journalism for the right to information in Ukraine

Screenshot from the webinar. The media lawyer of the Human Rights Platform, Mykola Hrynyshak (top right corner), led the seminar.

In June, the NGO Human Rights Platform (HRP) conducted an online webinar in support of the UNDEF funded project “Bolstering Citizen Journalism in Ukraine”. The webinar titled “How to obtain public information managed by State and Municipal enterprises” welcomed 40 participants. The webinar was organized to provide the project’s network of citizen journalists in Ukraine with the necessary tools to access information and navigate the changed and more restrictive legal landscape that has resulted from the war. HRP has observed that the interpretation of legislation on access to public information has changed significantly since the martial law in Ukraine was imposed.

This was the fifth of six webinars organized. Previous topics included ethics and standards, legal frameworks, and storytelling.  HRP continues operating despite the dangers and difficulties of war. For them, victory means also maintaining the democratic values in Ukraine. In their words, since February 24, 2022, one of the most important tasks for civil society has been to save achievements obtained before and to protect democratic values as much as it is possible in the current conditions of war.

The webinar has been made available (in Ukrainian language) on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yTLpXTxQZBg