What new, unknown, and untested on one's own skin would it seem journalists should expect from this year's presidential campaign? The sharks of the pen and hyenas of the keyboard have been through both Rome and Crimea, and lead bullets. "They beat, killed, drove into exile," squeezed with "temnyky," filtered information, communicated with journalists exclusively through press services, and fed them at buffets. Therefore, it is hard to surprise the press, especially the regional press, with anything. Talking with colleagues, I came to the conclusion that the "trick" of these races is simple – most candidates don't give a damn about respect for the election law. Paraphrasing one of the principles of justice, "everything that is not forbidden is allowed." We provide one example of this below. REGIONAL "TEMNYKY" The Volyn Internet, against the backdrop of its neighbors, especially Kyiv, looks rather poor. Every day Volyn journalists monitor several resources. But even under such "drought" conditions, many colleagues have recently abandoned the page of the regional administration. They say it's because of the content, style, and tendentiousness of the presentation. When they tell you that the authorities are not using administrative resources, don't believe it. If you have a computer with Internet access at hand, type in the address of the Volyn RSA and you will be convinced of the opposite... In the "Ofitsioz" (as they are called in the journalistic crowd of Volyn, also temnyky) for July 15, 2004, we read: "Already more than eight politicians have declared their desire to occupy the highest state post, but only two of them are favorites in the pre-election race — Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and leader of the 'Our Ukraine' bloc Viktor Yushchenko. The current prime minister clearly has more chances of winning than the leader of the Nashists, believes Mykhailo Pohrebinsky, director of the Kyiv Center for Political Studies and Conflictology. How do you like the terminology ('Nashists') with which, through the mediation of Kyiv political scientists, the RSA press service (and therefore the regional authorities!) communicates with citizens? Further in the ofitsioz there is an extensive quote from the political scientist, which, of course, ends with the conclusion that 'less than 20% believe that Yushchenko will be president, and more than 40% believe that Viktor Yanukovych will be president.' There is no doubt that such things are sent to Lutsk from Kyiv. In general, starting from summer, in every "temnyk" of the RSA press service, the first news item is at least a short note about where Viktor Fedorovych went and what good he did. Of course, in response to these accusations we will hear the already traditional: what can you do, Yanukovych is the head of government, how can you not write about the activities of the CMU and its boss? And then how should one perceive "EVENTS IN SUPPORT..." "On July 15, at the base of the specialized forestry enterprise of the Kamin-Kashyrskyi district, a meeting of the labor collective of employees of this institution was held. The participants of the meeting spoke in support of the candidacy of Viktor Yanukovych for the post of President of Ukraine, and also adopted an appeal to the residents of the district calling for support of the candidacy of the Prime Minister in the upcoming presidential elections." I found such a report in the section "Events in support of the candidate for President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych." How do you like the name of the section? It sounds! Instead of the words "base of the specialized..." feel free to put "cultural workers of the district," "territorial center for servicing single citizens," "social security administration," etc. Another question also arises: how did the employees of the Kamin-Kashyrskyi territorial center for servicing single and disabled citizens care for their wards if they, as a whole collective, unanimously "discussed the activities of the Cabinet of Ministers and expressed support for the candidacy of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in the upcoming presidential elections." And what were the employees of the Manevytsia CJSC "Enerho" doing on August 2 during working hours at the "meeting in support of the candidacy of Viktor Yanukovych"? It is interesting that if until mid-July the press service submitted its pre-election materials under the heading "Events in support of candidates for President of Ukraine" (even though among these events there were exclusively events supporting the incumbent prime minister), then later Yanukovych's "well-wishers" no longer shy away and write it as it is – "Events in support of the candidate for President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych." Indeed, why deceive people?! Let us note that all this is printed on the OFFICIAL WEBSITE (that is, the organ) of state power. The very same power that is prohibited by the Law on Elections of the President of Ukraine from interfering in the course of pre-election debates (Article 3, subparagraph 4.2). It is hard to believe that the funds designated for financing the website of a state authority body could be spent on informational support for candidate Yanukovych. We have cited several such ofitsiozy. Those who wish to familiarize themselves with the rest we refer to the page www.voladm.gov.ua. Do local publications print "Ofitsiozy" and news from the RSA? It is not hard to guess that reports about pre-election meetings of a forestry enterprise or a budget institution abound in newspapers among whose founders are the regional authorities. Nor is it hard to understand why SUCH news and SUCH a section exist. Without an instruction from the RSA leadership (as always), an unspoken one, this clearly could not have happened. AN UNSANCTIONED "DISERVICE" And what should the press organ of the regional authorities actually be working on? The RSA press service, or the Department for Interaction with Mass Media and Public Relations, works in accordance with its Regulation. Perhaps informing about "Events in support of V. Yanukovych" is among the "Main Tasks" and "Functions" of the press service? The author found nothing of the sort. On the contrary, it emphasizes "assistance, interaction of the regional state administration, its structural subdivisions with the activities of mass media, provision of methodological and informational assistance to mass media in covering issues of the activities of state authorities, as well as with parties, movements, funds and other public organizations." Instead, among the functions there is one interesting one – the department "organizes press conferences of the head of the regional state administration and his deputies." As for the "pressers" of the deputies, here at last the ice has broken (evidently not without the help of several publications in "2000"). But to communicate with the Volyn governor Anatoliy Frantsuz face to face at a press conference, without restrictions and preliminary conditions, most journalists have not managed since the day of his appointment in summer 2002. The author also found nothing about support for this or that candidate for the presidential post in the section "Rights of the Department." So, the press service has gone beyond its powers? *** You will say – why raise a storm in a teacup? Supposedly, the RSA Internet page, where such things are printed, is read by only a few dozen people. But here, it seems, one should take a principled stand. It is no secret that journalists themselves also provoked disrespect toward themselves, constantly closing their eyes to the attacks, disrespect, and rudeness of dignitaries, deputies, or the "masters" of the city. The fact that press services constantly KNOW NOTHING, "THEY NEED TO COORDINATE ALL THIS WITH THE BOSSES" has become an axiom. We have "swallowed" quite a lot and, forgive us, our stomach has stretched. Up there, it seemed, one could cram in whatever one wished.

P.S. The author prepared the material for the newspaper "2000" and received preliminary consent for publication of the article in the "Freedom of Speech" block. The material did not come out. I do not dare to name the reasons why it did not suit the Social Democratic publication. But THE MOST INTERESTING thing is that in mid-August the administrators and managers of the regional administration's website quickly changed the section "Events in support of V. Yanukovych" and buried the information under other headings and sections, or else threw out the information about the "meetings in support" from the site altogether. Well, well...