UKRAINIAN CENTRISM AND TRUTH-CENTRISM AS A UNIFIED MISSION OF JOURNALISM

The article analyzes the concepts of Ukrainian centrism and truth-centrism as the unified mission of journalism. The article examines truth as the primary factor in the positive influence of the media on shaping national consciousness, dignity, state-oriented thinking, and convictions among Ukrainians, as well as national and universal moral and spiritual values. In a historical context, it reflects on the interpretation of truth from the perspective of Moscow-Russian chauvinistic-imperial ideology and politics, contrasted with Ukrainian national-humanistic interests and values. The article contrasts the truth of the ochlocrat Ivan Briukhovetsky with that of the aristocrat Ivan Vyhovsky. The most controversial were the truths of the national-socialist Volodymyr Vynnychenko and the nationalist Dmytro Dontsov. Dontsov emphasized that all efforts should be directed towards «affirming the national Truth». Academics I. K. Bilodid and P. P. Tolochko supported RussianUkrainian bilingualism and actively opposed the «language-concerned» individuals such as I. Dziuba, A Pohrebny, O. Ponomariv, S. Plachynda, P. Movchan, and V. Chornovil, whose activities were based on Ukrainocentric and truth-centric principles. Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, M. Buzhansky, adheres to the ideology of the hostile «Russian world», advocating for Russian to be granted the status of a state language in Ukraine. Those who support the national truth-centric principle of promoting the Ukrainian language in every aspect of society and the state are not only persecuted but even killed. On July 19, 2024, a sinister hand forever silenced the righteous heart of Iryna Farion with a deadly bullet. In the information space, a «clash» between two truths about the Holodomor-genocide in Ukraine continues. The lowered figure of 3.5 million Ukrainian losses in 1932–1933, dictated from Moscow, was «justified» in publications by historian Stanislav Kulchytsky. Today, along with Lyudmyla Hrynevych, Anton Drobovych, and Larysa Yakubova, he promotes the Moscow-manipulated concept of the «AllUnion famine», vehemently opposing Volodymyr Serhiychuk, Olesia Stasiuk, and other like-minded individuals. These scholars, based on meticulous modern scientific research and objective forensic examinations, truthfully assert that in 1932–1933, 10.5 million Ukrainians, including 4 million children, perished from horrific starvation. To deny the truth about the consequences of the Holodomor-genocide in Ukraine, various methods and forms are used, including literal, interpretative, and implicative approaches, developed by British sociologist Stanley Cohen. Russian propagandists and manipulators extensively employ emotional methods to create fake anti-Ukrainian narratives. For this purpose, they draw on the experience of American and European «gonzo journalists», whose materials are often filled with subjective emotions, feelings, and personal experiences. The author concluded that a Ukrainian journalist, as a citizen and a conscious individual, is called to fundamentally combine professionalism, patriotism, and political foresight based on the principles of truth-centrism. After all, the principle of trust in journalistic words and visual representations is crucial in creating a Ukraine-centric, vital spiritual-national aura.