Status and Functioning of the Press in the Ukrainian State (29 April - 14 December 1918)

This article, analyzes the problems faced by the press in the Ukrainian State after the Hetman's coup. The absence of legal norms for the functioning of the press in the Hetmanate has led to political persecution of the press representatives and banning of a number of periodicals. Since May 1918, a "preliminary censorship" was introduced in Ukraine preventing any form of criticism of government activity. Subsequently, inorder to control the activities of the press, special state institutions were established: State Press Department at the State Chancellery and the Press Bureau at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the German officers in Ukraine adopted repressive measures against the press such as arrests of publishers and editors, seizure of premises and property of editorial offices and printing houses. In order to solve the problems of freedom of speech and press in Ukraine press representatives called a meeting. However, in such a difficult political situation, no important issues were resolved. Only the necessity of passing the law on the press and the protest against the arrest and imprisonment of press officers were declared. The Ukrainian press has furthermore faced socio-economic problems: the lack of funds for running newspapers, the shortage of paper and equipment; insufficient number of qualified reporters and journalists especially in the province; strikes of printers and post workers, there were problems with the distribution of the press as well. The Ukrainian language became a barrier to the existence of periodicals. Topics related to freedom of speech and press were constantly discussed in the Ukrainian periodicals. The Ukrainian public understood the importance of the press for the political and cultural formation and development of the nation, so it did not intend to give up. It pursued the tradition to speak the truth and opposed what was harmful to the Ukrainian people and the State.