REPRESENTATION OF THE COURT’S ACTIVITIES IN THE UKRAINIAN MEDIA

"Freedom of the media, which is an integral part of freedom of expression, is of utmost importance in a society based on the rule of law. However, this right is not absolute, especially in the area of judicial proceedings. This right must be balanced with other human rights, especially the right to a fair trial. This aspect is the main one in international standards of interaction between courts and media" [7], emphasize Liudmyla Opryshko and Liudmyla Pankratova in their manual ‘Fundamentals of Judicial Journalism’. When covering the activities of the judiciary, journalists have the right to disseminate information to the public without any obstacles from the court, unless this information is confidential. The media can inform the public not only when the case is completed and the court decision is made public, but also before the trial and during court hearings. At the same time, it is equally important that the media cover trials responsibly and do not go beyond the limits of what is permitted (adhere to neutrality, objectivity, impartiality, and use the correct terminology for the subject matter). This opinion is shared by researchers Liudmyla Opryshko and Liudmyla Pankratova, who emphasize that “one of the standards of interaction between courts and media in a democratic society is the principle that the media have the right and obligation to cover problematic issues in the field of justice, to criticize the activities of the judiciary. However, this criticism should be based on verified facts, and judges and judicial officers should be protected from unfounded accusations and generalizations” [7]. The article examines the interaction between the court and journalists, namely the representation of judicial issues in the Ukrainian media. The author analyzes how often the media write about the activities of the court, whether the authors of the materials adhere to the basic principles of judicial journalism and journalistic standards.