December 23, 2011 Media Law Institute with the support of the International Organization “International Media Support” conducted an expert discussion “Media during elections.”Media lawyers and media experts, representatives of authorities, journalists and public figures took part in the discussion.

The main purpose of this event was the analysis of new laws and regulations and assessment  of their impact on mass-media. Participants reviewed the articles, which determine the overall order of media activity during elections, and especially electioneering. Also, lawyers of Media Law Institute presented the results of research that was conducted by the International organization “Article 19”. Foreign experts commissioned by the Institute prepared a draft analysis of the Electoral Code of Ukraine in the aspects of freedom of expression and freedom of the media during elections. (The memorandum can be found under “Analytics”)

December 10, 2011 came into force a new Law of Ukraine “On Elections of People’s Deputies” for which on November 17 vote 366 deputies. Changes occurred in the regulation of mass-media during elections. In particular, developers of the Law extracted a new chapter – “Information support of elections” in which, in fact, set out the basic principles of media involvement. The previous version of election laws did not contain a similar category of the concept of “Information support of elections.” According to Article 63 of the Act, voters are provided access to diverse, objective and unbiased information needed to make conscious, informed, free choice.

The expert discussion was held with the support of the international organization “International Media Support” in the framework of the IMS with the media and democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.