A new, revised and supplemented edition of the Media Law manual was presented at the Mohyla School of Journalism in Kyiv, providing journalism students and media professionals with an up-to-date practical guide to the legal framework governing journalism in Ukraine.

The manual is the second edition of a publication first issued in 2007. Since then, Ukraine’s media landscape and legal framework have changed substantially, including through the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Media” and the development of new European and national standards affecting journalists and media outlets. The updated edition was developed and published with support of the Council of Europe project Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – Phase II (SFEM-UA – Phase II). 

The project aims to ensure that Council of Europe and EU standards are understood and applied in practice by the institutions and professionals who work with them, strengthening institutional capacity and supporting media professionals’ independence, professionalism and resilience. 

The updated manual puts this approach into practice by bringing the legal framework closer to the everyday realities of journalism. It explains how the law applies to gathering and publishing information, access to information, protection of journalistic sources, privacy, public interest and professional rights, as well as to investigative journalism and potential legal risks. It also covers defamation, elections, advertising, employment relations, copyright and the use of artificial intelligence. 

One of the key features of the new edition is that it does not simply present journalists with a collection of legal provisions. It introduces them to the broader legal environment in which modern journalism operates, beginning with the evolution of Ukrainian media legislation and its European context. The manual draws on European human rights standards, the European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, including the principles underpinning freedom of expression and the protection of journalistic activity. 

The manual also includes a section on strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) - abusive litigation that can be used to put pressure on journalists and others speaking out on matters of public interest. The inclusion of this topic is particularly timely as Ukraine is developing legislative safeguards against SLAPPs. This work is closely linked to the national implementation of the Council of Europe’s “Journalists Matter” Campaign for the Safety of Journalists, which the project supports together with Ukrainian partners. The project has facilitated dialogue between authorities, media professionals and international actors on preventing, documenting and responding to threats against journalists, while also supporting training for law-enforcement officials on protecting journalists’ professional activities and freedom of expression. 

The manual therefore complements the project’s work at several levels: supporting a legal framework based on Council of Europe and European Union standards, strengthening its practical implementation, protecting journalists from pressure and ensuring that journalists themselves have the knowledge to defend their rights.

The Council of Europe Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine –  Phase II” (SFEM-UA - Phase II) is implemented by the Council of Europe Co-operation on Freedom of Expression in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.