Every time Den’/The Day celebrates an anniversary, I like to remember how over five years ago I was given a contract to translate, one with a group of investors called the Ukrainian Press Group, and a business plan to create a daily newspaper covering society and politics, this one. I often find it pleasant to remember this because in a certain sense I have a significantly longer seniority with this paper than that of our digest.
In our world many things change. But for five years, one thing that has not changed is the original goal of this newspaper: to provide quality, intelligent, and balanced information and commentary on events in Ukraine and the world. In this respect, The Day has made a significant contribution to the process of transforming the former Soviet people into citizens of a new state of the European type, citizens capable of making informed decisions concerning the problems and further development of their Ukrainian state.
In every state of the Western type the mass media play an extraordinarily important role in the process whereby people determine their common fate. Journalism is above all the supreme lobbyist for the transparency of political and social processes. Every struggle with censorship (and its names are legion) is a struggle for the people’s right to know, especially when “they” would rather the people not know.
Obviously, there will always be legitimate state secrets. Obviously, there will always be the legitimate privacy of public officials. But Western experience shows that the conflict between journalists, who stand for the people’s right to know, and the forces, which guard things that can simply not be made public, create a constantly changing balance between these perpetually conflicting priorities. Different newspapers and journalists will always have different views about various governments, events, and public affairs. But in this sense the press always has been, is, and will be in opposition. It gives me special pride that The Day has always been in permanent opposition to any infringement on the freedom of expression, against any pressure on journalists, against their being attacked and murdered.
Without a doubt, nobody has a monopoly on the truth. When I teach political science I tell my students, “Let’s discuss this, because the issue is controversial.” In this spirit The Day also always opens its pages to different points of view. I am proud of this both as an American citizen and a patriot of Ukraine.
Real journalism is always a voice for pluralism, and The Day has made a great contribution concerning views of events, of the most sensitive problems of society, politics, and our social life in general. As a Ph.D. in history who has come to rub shoulders with journalism, I can confirm that journalism truly is the first draft of history. Our descendants will again and again work out their own understanding of our difficult times, but without the conrtibution of The Day no future generation will be able to do so. Thus, as one who took an albeit modest role in the creation of this newspaper and as a member of a talented team, I can only extend the paper and my colleagues here the most sincere congratulations and hopes for an achievement that continues. There is an old saying that the Cossack order is without end. I can only hope that of The Day will enjoy a similar fate.
