The Influence of 'Censorship by Money' on Freedom of Speech in Ukraine

摘要

This article will discuss the importance and direction of the media transformation processes in Ukraine in the light of freedom of speech, and will address recent developments in journalism and their consequences for politics. Media processes are analyzed based on the transformation theory. The analysis particularly targets weak and strong points of changes, concentrates on predictions of further freedom of speech development in Ukraine and advocates further research on the similar processes across Eurasia. Generally, this study shows unsatisfactory coverage (partial coverage, selective attention, high prejudice, etc.) of elections in the last years and analyzes the probability of similar actions during the forthcoming Ukrainian presidential election. This study also strives to understand how freedom of speech is influenced by 'censorship by money'. Further research is needed to determine how to maintain freedom of speech in light of the failure of 'Orange Revolution' ideas to be fully implemented.