MediaMovement appeals to Zelensky

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Representatives of several Ukrainian mass-media and media NGO’s published an open appeal to the candidate for the presidency of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky urging to hold a press conference not later than on April 18.

Dear Mr. Zelensky,

On April 21, the second round of presidential electionin Ukraine will take place. During your election campaign, you made dozens of videos that became coverage opportunities for news and materials in media. You gave a few interviews to a number of chosen media before the first round of elections, but over the past few weeks you personally avoid direct and full-fledged communication with domestic journalists.

Our professional duty as journalists is to bring socially important information to citizens on time and in full. As you ignore our requests and entreaties for interview, we cannot perform in full the functions assigned to us by the society.

The media community and the civil society have a number of questions about your vision of further development of the country, as well as your openness and willingness to be accountable to the society that elects you. Our readers, viewers and listeners also ask questions that we cannot answer because we never talked to you directly.

We ask you to show respect for journalists and civil society, which was the engine of all reforms in the country since the Revolution of Dignity.

We urge you not to follow the negative practices of ignoring media requests which, unfortunately, have also taken place over the past 5 years, and to hold a press conference for the media before the official date of the debate (not later than on April 18) to ensure dialog with media representatives in particular and Ukrainians in general.

Prove that the principles of openness and transparency that you declare are not empty words and pre-election slogans.

Open appeal was signed by:

“Media for a Conscious Choice” Media Movement

UA:Pershyi (UA:PBC)

Ukrainian Radio (UA:PBC)

Hromadske Radio [Public Radio]

National News Agency of Ukraine – Ukrinform

Liga.net

Public Television of Donbas

NovoyeVremya

Radio NV

The Ukrainian Week

Opinion

Detector Media

Mass Information Institute

PylypOrlykInstitute for Democracy

Regional Press Development Institute

Internews-Ukraine

“Souspilnist” Foundation

Ukrainian Crisis Media Center

Ukrainian Press Association

“Po Toi Bik Novyn” Information Campaign

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