The Ukrainian media regulator urged journalists not to use dehumanizing language, but later withdrew the instruction
Ukraine’s media regulator has withdrawn instructions urging news outlets not to use insults when referring to Russian troops and officials. Branding people as “orcs” and “retards” is poor journalism, its guidelines had stated.
The advice on how to cover frontline news was released earlier this month by the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting. It had remained largely unnoticed until Wednesday, when some of the content was highlighted by the media. As of Thursday, it is no longer available on the regulator’s website.
The guidelines had urged journalists to avoid dehumanizing language when describing Russian military personnel and officials, citing several reasons.
It claimed that such insults “are not ethical or justifiable” in journalism and can fuel tensions in Ukrainian society. It also said the use of derogatory language “does not further objective and open coverage” of news, and may “undermine perception of media outlets as reliable sources of information.” Inflammatory rhetoric could also prolong the hostilities, it suggested.
”Journalism should remain objective towards all belligerents,” the regulator said.
There have been a number of emerging trends in the public use of language, including by media organizations, which are apparently intended to express disdain for Russia.
For instance, it has become a common practice in Ukraine not to capitalize the name of the country and its leader, President Vladimir Putin. Last September, the Ukrainian commission on language standards issued a formal opinion stating that such practice was legitimate anywhere except in official documents.
Some Ukrainian news organizations, such as UNIAN, make a point of using derogatory terms for Russians in their output.
Before the conflict with Russia erupted in February 2022, the government of President Vladimir Zelensky had cracked down on critical media outlets in what it claimed to be a fight against Russian propaganda.
Since then, Kiev has further tightened its grip on the news landscape by replacing all national television broadcasts with a single ‘Freedom Marathon’. The New York Times reported earlier this year that Ukrainians were tired of the programming, because it had turned into “little more than a mouthpiece for the government.”
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May 22, 2024 at 11:28PM
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Don’t call Russian troops ‘orcs,’ Kiev tells news outlets
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