The document, which is being prepared for the second reading in the parliament, will regulate the activities of online mass media.

The Verkhovna Rada told what fate awaits bloggers after the adoption of the media bill.

As Yevgenia Kravchuk, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, said on the air of the informational telethon, the bill aims to protect information consumers from any manifestations of Russian propaganda or attempts to pass off Russian propaganda as Ukrainian media.

The deputy also explained what awaits the bloggers after the adoption of the relevant document.

“According to the bill on media, bloggers do not need to register as mass media. The bill is specifically about sites that work as media that have journalists. They must apply to the National Council and register. Journalists of such publications will have a journalist’s license, will be able to obtain accreditations and etc. As for YouTube bloggers, they may choose to register themselves as mass media, but this will not be mandatory,” Kravchuk said.

She also noted that the drafters of the bill listened to certain comments of the media industry and finalized this document.

“The part about updating the election legislation, that is, how the coverage of the election process and campaigning will be regulated, reconciled the industry and public organizations that deal with elections. Now we have an understanding between these two parties,” said Kravchuk.

The draft law “On media” – what is known

As reported, on December 27, 2019, a group of people’s deputies registered a media bill (No. 2693) in the Verkhovna Rada. It is designed to regulate relations related to the dissemination of mass information and defines the legal basis for the activities of subjects in the media sphere in Ukraine, as well as the principles of state management, regulation and supervision (control) in this field.

On August 30, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the bill “On Media” in the first reading. Evgenia Kravchuk then stated that this is another step towards Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and the establishment of clear modern rules for the media market.

Amendments were made to the second reading of the draft law, based on the comments of European experts. The new document takes into account such concepts as online media, social networks and YouTube.

According to the chairman of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting, Olga Gerasimyuk, the law on media should ensure freedom of speech and national security of Ukraine at the same time.