The Presidential Administration believes

An analysis of the monitoring of central and regional mass media conducted the week before last by the Chief Information Policy Office of the Presidential Administration demonstrated that there is no political censorship in Ukraine, head of this organization Serhiy Vasyliev told Interfax Ukraine.

“The analysis of last week’s indices was made public precisely to prove by concrete examples that there is no censorship in Ukraine,” he said, adding that one of the incentives was a statement by PACE rapporteur on Ukraine Hanne Severinsen on the need for independent monitoring of Ukrainian mass media.

“The analysis demonstrated the correctness of our assertions on the absence of censorship in Ukraine, not the allegations and assumptions of its existence,” said Mr. Vasyliev.

According to him, monitoring is now carried out on a daily basis and involves over 1,500 Ukrainian media outlets. One of its major parameters are critical materials on the activities of the president, his administration, and the executive branch in general. Materials from publications of all levels are examined: from regional to central ones, including newspapers, television companies, radio stations, and Internet publications.

The analysis of mass media monitoring from October 12 to 18 showed that negative materials on the activities of the president and his administration were published by sixteen central newspapers with total circulation of 1,768,000, thirty-five regional ones (total circulation 828,000), six regional television companies, five central and nineteen regional radio stations, and six Internet publications.

Negative materials on the Cabinet of Ministers’ activities were published by four newspapers with total pressrun 863,000, seven television companies, and one Internet publication. The Ministry of Internal Affairs was criticized by thirteen newspapers with total pressrun 2,623,000, nine television companies, seventeen radio stations, and eleven internet publications. Negative information on the activities of the State Tax Administration was published by ten newspapers with total pressrun 1,670,000, three radio stations, and seven Internet publications. Four newspapers with total pressrun 582,000 and one Internet publication wrote negatively of the General Prosecutor’s Office.

“What political censorship can we speak about after this?” Mr. Vasyliev summarized. The head of the chief information policy office stressed that “the analysis of the criticisms of the leaders of executive bodies and heads of oblast state administration together with a cover letter from Head of the Presidential Administration Viktor Medvedchuk is sent to every manager on a weekly basis with a request to accord it attention and draw the necessary conclusions.”