Ukrainian media advocate urges learning from Denmark's state support for journalism

Liza Kuzmenko, head of the Ukrainian non-governmental organisation Women in Media, argues in a column for Ukrainska Pravda that Ukraine should return to the idea of a state media support fund, drawing on Denmark's experience. She is currently in Copenhagen as part of the MERIT Forum programme run by International Media Support (IMS), which brings together Ukrainian experts on media law, regulation and freedom of speech. The text is the author's opinion, not the editorial board's position.

The idea has not been realised in Ukraine

The topic has been discussed in Ukraine for years. In 2019, then culture minister Volodymyr Borodianskyi proposed an information space development fund, and in 2022 Mykyta Poturaiev, chair of the parliamentary committee on humanitarian and information policy, returned to the idea. A state grant-giving institution still does not exist.

How the Danish model works

At Denmark's Ministry of Culture, Ukrainian participants were shown a system covering both large national outlets and local newsrooms. Under the 2023–2026 media agreement, total funding is about 736 million euros, most of it for public broadcasting, with over 76 million euros set aside for private news media.

Support covers up to 35% of verified editorial costs, such as salaries of journalists and editors. Decisions are made by an independent Media Council, not by the minister, and an outlet's editorial stance is not assessed. Council decisions cannot be appealed to the culture minister. Recipients must follow journalistic ethics, and complaints are heard by an independent Press Council.

In 2025 an independent expert committee concluded that the system is too complex and still geared to traditional print media. It recommended simplifying the rules and lowering the minimum newsroom size from three to two full-time staff.

Conclusions for Ukraine

Kuzmenko notes that Ukraine's independent media depend heavily on international donors. The state currently funds private TV channels through the "United News" telethon, for which 738 million hryvnias are planned in 2026. The European Commission has repeatedly questioned its continuation over media pluralism concerns. The author argues for an accessible, transparent system with an independent decision-making body.