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How UTN Portrays Ukraine

26 January, 00:00

By Natalia LIHACHOVA, The Day Frankly, I would like nothing better than to live in the country portrayed daily on the government-run UTN (UT-1) television channel, from 9:00 a.m. to midnight. Of course, the country they talk about is not so sated and boring as those where they have to turn for entertainment to various sex scandals at the highest levels. But otherwise, this country seems quite livable. There are no schoolteachers going on dry hunger strikes, demanding the six months back wages due them; no homeless children, for whose miserable lot is the state is fully to blame; no businessmen suffocating under the pressure of taxes; no scientists or scholars making ends meet by trading in bazaars; and no peasants who have forgotten when they last held bank-notes in their hands. Of course, this UTN country has its problems like Communist-provoked barroom brawls by the parliamentary podium, a body described as showing very poor performance. Some of its citizens are caught in the act of presenting fake Panamanian passports when crossing the Swiss border. One of its citizens is shown accusing the General Prosecutor of having built a dacha worth $70,000 and the respondent telling him precisely where to shove his accusations. Now and then selflessly courageous law enforcement authorities hunt down and destroy gangs, throwing former lawmakers behind bars and preventing theft of public property. There are also contract killings and disasters. Sometimes top-level bureaucrats fail to understand IMF strategies, especially when it comes to refusing loans. How dare they! Most importantly, no matter what happens in this imaginary country the situation is invariably kept under control by the Premier, Deputy Premier, and of course the President. Even though we learned from UTN last week that only 23 foundations had been laid for the homes of victims of the Transcarpathian flood disaster and 183 families (sic) had been given housing, we were also happily informed that the Prime Minister called a Cabinet meeting quickly and said he was dissatisfied with the situation. Before that we learned that the President had made certain meaningful assignments. Also, UTN always seems to be opening new orphanages, showing sponsors visit them and hand out generous presents, while the orphans sing and dance by way of appreciation. Tuberculosis? It is mentioned only when a new hospital is opened somewhere. Harvest campaigns seem to start only on well-managed collective farms, now renamed collective agricultural enterprises, with enough machinery and good crops. In a word, all negative aspects in this UTN Ukraine are kept strictly pro rata the positive ones to the latter's benefit. One's heart mellows and eyes fill with tears of joy. If only one could forever forget about the surrounding reality which some other channels stubbornly and viciously remind one of on a more or less regular basis, not to mention what one sees with one's own eyes everyday.

Newspaper output №:

№3, (1999)

Section

Day After Day