The event was organized by the parliamentary Committee of freedom of speech and information with assistance of the Centre of Strategic Studies, Media Development Fund, Embassy of the USA in Ukraine and the NATO Documentation and Information Centre in Ukraine. People´s Deputies, representatives of the State Property Fund, regional mass media and public organizations attended the meeting.
The participants of the "Round Table" discussed main problems of press democratization in Ukraine. The majority of reporters stressed that "State legislation should facilitate development of media freedom."
Major discussion concerned the statements of the Bill on reforming State and communal printed mass media (Reg. No. 4003).
Olena Bondarenko, the First-Vice-Chairman of the Committee on freedom of speech and information, stated that "State and communal printed mass media can be reformed in two ways: at the expense of State budget or at the editors´ expense".
During the discussion the participants of the "Round Table" expressed their opinions on other issues as well. In particular, they stated that countries with stable democracy do not have such a number of State mass media as Ukraine, and emphasized their social purpose which should not be omitted while discussing the issue of cooperation between State and mass media.
The participants of the "Round Table" deem necessary to engage the bodies of local government in reforming the media, because this process can be the hardest especially for regional mass media.
A working group that will continue working on the Bill on reforming the State and communal printed mass media was formed due to the results of the "Round Table".