Fourteen leading publishers and editors engaged in a frank discussion with the President over lunch during the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
Jacob Mathew, President of WAN-IFRA and Erik Bjerager, President of the World Editors Forum, presented the president with a report and recommendations that emerged from an international press freedom mission to Ukraine in April 2012. The report can be found here.
In the lunch meeting at the National Hotel, Mr Bjerager said a free press was a necessary component for sustainable economic, social and cultural development. “By encouraging criticism and dissent, you develop freedom, liberalization and a prosperous society,” he told the president.
The delegation addressed a number of issues and asked the president to ensure that those who engaged in peaceful protest during his speech at the Congress opening ceremony would not be harassed or prosecuted.
It also called for the president to address the issues that were inhibiting the development of independent media, including an environment of corruption, lack of a viable market, and issues in broadcast media that include lack of transparency in digital licensing and judicial processes.
The call followed a resolution issued Sunday from the WAN-IFRA Board that called for similar measures.
In addition to Mr Mathew and Mr Bjerager, WAN-IFRA and WEF members of the delegation included: Eugene Abov, Deputy CEO, Izdatelstvo Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russia; Boris Lozhkin, President, UMH Group, Ukraine; Tomas Brunegard, CEO and President, Stampen AB, Sweden; Jayme Sirotsky, President Emeritus, RBS-Brazil Zero Hora Editora Jornalistica; Seok Hyun Hong, Chairman & CEO, JoongAng Media Network, Korea; Vladimir Sungorkin; Editor-in-Chief, General Director Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia; Mikael Pentikäinen, Senior Editor-in-Chief, Sanoma News Oy, Finland; Pichai Chuensuksawadi, Editor-in-Chief, The Post Publishing Company, Thailand; Trevor Ncube, Chief Executive, Mail and Guardian, South Africa; Valdo Lehari Jr, CEO and Publisher, Reutlinger General-Anzeiger Verlag, Germany; and Ivar Rusdal , CEO, Jæren Avis AS, Norway.
