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Pressure Mounts on Chernivtsi Opposition Press

20 July, 00:00

By Marianna KHODYKINA, Center for Journalistic Research The Chernivtsi oblast print shop has for the past five weeks refused to print the local weekly newspaper Chas (Time). Four times the newspaper came off the presses courtesy of the Shukhevych Print Shop in neighboring Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, but last week the readers of this most popular Bukovynan periodical received no copies and could buy none at city newsstands. The formal reason for refusing to print it is debt, of course, yet losing customers (not numerous but basically solvent) toward the end of the subscription period makes no sense. The more so that other Chernivtsi newspapers have arrears twice as much as Chas, but are still printed.

There is a difference between this and other local periodicals, of course, because Chas openly supports presidential candidate Yevhen Marchuk and carries features criticizing the oblast state administration - and the rest of the top officials.

Another Chernivtsi newspaper, Doba (Epoch) has no liabilities toward the print shop and does not support Yevhen Marchuk, but nor does it support the current President, particularly his local appointees. The results of such a policy were quick to display themselves: a slander case initiated by the Chernivtsi garrison's military prosecutor, Col. L. Melnykov. Doba reporter Halyna Tarasiuk tried to sort out the problems forcing a young conscript to desert. The claim was filed in April, but nothing happened. Local analysts believe that the event coincided in time with Doba lashing out at the oblast state administration.

According to Doba editor Volodymyr Stepanets, the newspaper responded to such "sanctions" with an editorial describing exactly how the local state administration's head of the information committee "managed" local postal workers, instructing them to get people to subscribe for the "right kind" of periodicals campaigning for the "right" presidential candidate (the article's title: "Will there be a Ghetto for 'Unwelcome' Newspapers in Chernivtsi?").

Meanwhile, Chas is firmly resolved to continue appearing.

Newspaper output №:

№27, (1999)

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