From "Public figures" to non-public owners. Who is Natasha Vlashchenko

by Yaroslav Zubchenko, originally published by MediaSapiens (Detector Media)

How she got from the theatre to Medvedchuk, and from Medvedchuk to Akhmetov. What is wrong with the interviews of the TV presenter and why she is called pro-Russian journalist. 

The story of Natasha Vlashchenko is the story that shows where compromises lead journalists. Sales of publication covers, warm-bath interviews, indifference to owners of channels – all these things helped the media woman to gain a foothold in the profession and become successful. But, on the other hand, they made her infamous.

After 2014 Vlashchenko was accused of being pro-Russian journalist. After all, not every presenter interviews Andriy Portnov, and almost none of those who care about their reputation continue to work for Viktor Medvedchuk. But perhaps the biggest compromise that goes throughout her journalist’s career is the choice between content and form that Vlashchenko makes in favor of the latter.

From beauty to gross

Today it’s hard to believe, but the TV presenter has spent most of her career in the field of culture and in printed media. She taught art history at the university, worked in the theatre, wrote for the publications “Ukrainian Theater” and “Theatrical Life”. She worked within her speciality after graduation from Zhytomyr Pedagogical University and the Faculty of Theater Studies at Karpenko-Karyi University. The love for the show remained with Vlashchenko for life, but she eventually changed her profession. Pay attention to the motivation: “I stopped doing theatre for pragmatic reasons. I don’t like to waste time on things that don’t work. And the mechanism of the theatre stopped working at some point. I did not make for living thanks to theatrical salaries, but thanks to royalties, plays, shootings, translations. Therefore, I finished my romance with the theatre”.

For some time she was the first deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper Segodnya. But perhaps the most famous she bacame as the publisher in the 90s. Forzats, which was founded by her in 1999, published, for instance, the annual almanack The Face of Ukraine. During the launch of publication, the media woman stated that it was a “purely journalistic project”, the independence of which was saved “through a very hard work”. You may have even seen one of pages of the magazine about the then employee of ICTV Dmytro Kyselyov:“He is not tired to repeat on the air that “Ukraine is European state”.

Monthly magazine Public People was even more successful. Vlashchenko was also the owner and editor-in-chief there. She sold her rights there in 2016. As you might guess, the backbone of the project were interviews with famous people. But stars turned out to be the Achilles’ heel of the publication. Vlashchenko was blamed for the sale of place on the cover. It was quite logical to notice that people, who are difficult to recognize (and therefore are not so public figures), appear on the cover of a magazine not in vain and (just as important) on dozens of city lights with advertising of the magazine in the capital and big cities. Moreover, Public People had questionable face control: a member of the Party of Regions Oleg Kalashnikov, who had previously beaten journalists. The oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko, Yanukovych’s chief financier of the family. Or such Poplavskyi’s PR as this one.

The editor herself commented on accusations in the following way: “I have never hidden that the magazine Public People is commercial project. Yes. And I have never spoken about freedom of speech, let’s say, as you spoke […] But I will tell you this. The creation of commercial projects in this country is the only way to create independent media”. During this period of her life, namely in 2009, the journalist received the title “honoured”.

The TV put the end to magazine career: “The idea that it was time for me to say goodbye to Public People came when I went to work at the TV. I was a presenter of the daily program. And I realized that I would break into pieces, so I have to choose. Whether I’m in the media business or on TV.” Although by these words the presenter meant her benefice at “112” in 2013, in fact she had experience on television before.

In 2008, Vlashchenko stated that: “I have demonstrative type of nervous system, and therefore I would love to do the TV program. Even for free”. And in 2010, she moderated talk show about art “Krasyvo” at the First National Channel. Media Detector reviewed the project: not enough context for viewers, not always clear guests, emphasis on problems, not solutions. There was even a “resonator”. This was a permanent expert in all episodes, who will appear in future Vlashchenko’s political talk shows. 

However, the real TV popularity came to Natasha Vlashchenko on channel “112”, where she launched interview program “People. Hard Talk”. This phrase means “tough talk” and for more than twenty years the program with this name has been broadcast on the BBC. But Ukrainian media woman has explanation: “The phrase hard talk has grown into the name of genre. Tough, problematic conversation, unexpected questions. Basically, this is my style. I really love battles”. Of course, this is not true. It will look like a warm bath on three channels where Vlashchenko will release this program. And there will be at least one unreadiness of the presenter for conversation for every two insights voiced by guests. Nevertheless, the novelty of information format and density of events after the Maydan made the project successful. 

In addition to dialogue format, Vlashchenko had a personal section on “112”, namely “Insider”. Theoretically, the presenter should be telling some secrets in it, but it did not work out. In any case, people liked Vlashchenko’s TV format. And now she says that she no longer wants to write columns, but “transformed her love for texts into writing detective stories”.

After three years of continuous work on “112” in 2017, the journalist went to ZIK, which belonged to Lviv businessman and former member of the Party of Regions Petro Dyminskyi at that time. And she was not only the presenter at that time, but also the creative producer and six months later the general producer of the channel. (At that time, ZIK was reformatted from the regional to the national news channel under the leadership of Gaigisiz Geldiyev.) However, Media Detector learned from its own sources that the position of “creative producer” did not really mean any authority. This title was given to justify Vlashchenko’s high salary in comparison to other presenters. And to become some kind of public move so the star of “112” did not go to a relatively unknown channel for the same position. As the “head” Vlashchenko promised ZIK “New network […] It will be completely different channel. And I hope that a lot of people will switch to this channel”. However, at first many people left ZIK.

The collaboration ended for Kapranov brothers when they called new producer  Ukrainophobian. The guest editor left due to disagreement with editorial policy. The head and editor-in-chief of the information department resigned for similar reasons. The investigation project Last Instance was closed allegedly due to the reluctance of journalists to prepare ordered materials. Sources of Media Detector state that some people resigned precisely because they considered work with Vlashchenko to be a threat to their reputation.

Negotiations on transfer of the presenter to ZIK allegedly lasted for a year and a half. And the journalist explained the change in following way: “We need to be in progress, do something different, new. The main reason is that I have always wanted to do a great show”. And such program really started in fall 2017 under the name Narod Proty. During the time of Nataliya Moseychuk, ZIK called her talk show the only one where “the presenter is a woman”. Meanwhile, Natasha Vlashchenko dreamed of “Making blockbuster, real action. So that was a political show. Not the “talk show”, because everyone is tired of endless talks and reports of politicians”. It is a very controversial statement, given that Ukrainian television is just a continuous show and it lacks constructiveness. But Narod Proty has achieved everything. Observers noted the predominance of form over content.  

Vlashchenko’s talk show went on a steady pace until March 2018, when it was suspended under mysterious circumstances until October. The channel reported about restart, because there were rumors of financial problems. However, over time the program was back, but it did not really become noticeable or influential. When she launched her project after closure of the channel of Savik Shuster, the journalist talked about the “empty niche”. In fact, big political talk shows were broadcast on various TV channels every day, and news channels launched new and new projects in this format. And over time, when Narod Proty began to compete with other Medvedchuk’s talk shows within the same holding, and Savik Shuster returned to the air on the channel Ukrayina, Vlashchenko’s program was even moved from Friday to Thursday. 

Along with the new project, the journalist continued to interview people within the program Hard, launched the program Pershi Drygi about chosen celebrities and launched YouTube show Vlast vs Vlaschenko. Media Detector described the latter as follows: Despite editing, graphic doo-dads and caption cards, this format is not much different from what Vlashchenko does at ZIK”. In general, the TV career of presenter and general producer was developing smoothly until June 2019.

It is ironical that after so many changes in genres, formats and even types of media the loudest decision in person’s biography can be the decision not to change anything. But that’s exactly what happened. Viktor Medvedchuk, in the person of his right-hand man Taras Kozak, received control over the channel ZIK, half of the staff left media, while Vlashchenko remained the general producer for Putin’s proxy.

The journalist criticized the idea of ​​politicians-presenters once: “I think that this practice is wrong. After all, no matter which politician we mentioned on the screen on various channels, we are talking about their PR and benefit. It has nothing to do with television”. Today, the program of the Member of Parliament from the Opposition Platform – For Life Ilya Kiva has appeared on the air of ZIK. In 2008, the media woman was proud that in contrast to Russia, “Goebbels propaganda” was impossible in Ukraine. Then, the marathon Tkhne Sorosom came out when she was the general producer. Immediately after the change of channel’s owner, Vlashchenko told that the editorial policy would not change. Within one month, on the eve of parliamentary elections, Vadym Rabinovych spoke in front of silent journalists and told about “civil conflict”. During that period of life Natasha Vlashchenko joined the Council on Freedom of Speech and Protection of Journalists under President Zelenskyi.

Although Medvedchuk is undoubtedly the worst owner of the channel where Vlashchenko worked. We should admit that all her adventures on television were related to doubtful people. For instance, the presenter worked at the TV channel 112 at the time when it (according to unofficial information, which is extremely difficult to confirm documentary) was owned by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Azarov’s government Vitaliy Zakharchenko. But the journalist herself stated that she heard different things, I was told that he or she was some kind ofcollective person, I was not interested in it at allandwhat difference who was the owner?. Shortly after her moving to ZIK, the channel began to cover up the car accident in which the woman allegedly died because of Dyminskyi. When Medvedchuk bought the channel, Vlashchenko stated that: “It doesn’t matter to me who owns the channel. The platform where I can work and where I am not limited is important for me”. Well, probably, ZIK’s metamorphoses did not limit her. She changed this oligarchic channel to another only one year later. 

In fall 2020, Natasha Vlashchenko appeared on Rinat Akhmetov’s channel Ukrayina 24. She took with her kindred formats Hard and Narod Proty. And again she held the place of creative producer. The transition took place so imperceptibly that Vlashchenko took with her even Medvedchuk’s guests. These were amazing times, when Yanukovych’s ally Olena Lukash called occupied territories “that part of Donbass that remained unconquered” without any objections from the presenter. Over time, frankly Russian speeches smoothed out in favour of frankly pro-Akhmetov’s. And now the journalist, who in numerous statements (here, here, here) was proud that no one dictates her guests, interviews Oleg Lyashko seven times during six months. The “radical” once stated that he paid Vlashchenko a “salary” when she worked in the press. The circle closed.

Guests love silence

Despite the change of owners, Natasha Vlashchenko herself has changed no more than the name of her branded program over the years of her work on television. As in days of People. Hard Talk, as in the time of HARD with Vlashchenko, as in the time of Hard with Vlashchenko, she still pumps for information from guests in warm baths and does not care too much about facts.

The most famous format of the presenter is her interviews. Natasha Vlashchenko likes to tell that when she invites politicians, she arranges with them “Battle. And there is no room for pity”. But in reality, the vast majority of journalist’s conversations are so trivial that they do not even create any ripple on the surface of infospace. This is partly explained by industrial production. You will not find enough interesting guests or interesting topics for several hourly programs every week. But Vlashchenko’s style also plays the role. If she still have meetings with real heavyweights, she does not enter into conflict and does not make hard talk with them. Sorry for the irony. On the contrary, she creates the most comfortable conditions for politicians. So, they can relax. And if they want, they will tell some insights. In addition, a nice bonus is that they visit comfortable journalists more often.

Real problems begin when guests resonate with personal sympathies of the presenter. Vlashchenko convinces only in words that “The journalist must decide for himself whether he is able to separate his personal life, his sympathies and interests from his professional duty. If he cannot do it, then he must leave this profession”. In fact, she stays in the media even after she says to Andriy Portnov: “I often hear that the case of Lukash is so idiotic that it must have been made up by both Lukash and Portnov in order to make PR for themselves”. Oh, there were times when people called for the boycott of ZIK after Vlashchenko’s interview with Portnov, …

The Hard is not ashamed of PR talks either. Former head of the PR agency is immediately noticed. The presenter states to Yuliya Tymoshenko: You are the only political force that is very active in defending rights of ordinary Ukrainians and peasants. Oleg Lyashko is presented at this show as “one of the most influential extra-parliamentary politicians of nowadays. Once Mykhaylo Dobkin stated on the air: “I will choose my words now. So it will not be criticism. I’m all alone in the studio. Nobody can oppose me”. In general, Vlashchenko is involved in screen time for all Akhmetov’s favorites now. Although behind the scenes she pathetically assures that: “I always understand why I invite the person for the interview. I would like to bring something new with this interview to the media”. What new can the eleventh interview during the year with Dmytro Spivak bring? 

On the other hand, the journalist does not always know how to separate “her sympathies and interests” even when she communicates with unpleasant people or on unpleasant topics. Hardtalk justifies its name, for instance, if Maryana Bezugla talks about movement to the NATO. Maryana, what does this mean?, I heard it only from you, Why do we need the NATO then?, Do you know Ilf and Petrov?, Why can’t we get into this open door?, Doesn’t that offend you? interrupts Vlashchenko. The media woman doesn’t interrupt Oleg Lyashko, when he states that Western partners can only tear our asses if we relax

The separate topic is Vlashchenko’s preparation for interviews. We would like to cite review dated 2014, “The strong point of Nataliya Vlashchenko is not in thorough preparation for the hard talk, but in her self-conceit, iron-clad conviction of her own irresistibility and competence in almost all matters”. It is clear that such explosive combination of qualities often bites in the ass. The above-mentioned text stated that the presenter misunderstood principles of work of public organizations. But there are other examples. Namely: conversation with former Minister Yuriy Stets. The media woman learned a lesson about financing of state institution during it. Or her opinion about the medical reform, when Vlashchenko approves incompetence herself: “Nobody has seen Suprun’s reform. I don’t know how it looks like”. So maybe you should find out? There was also a lot of interesting things at the beginning of coronavirus epidemic. Here is journalist’s quote about evacuation of Ukrainians from Wuhan: “How will we save people if epidemic starts? Let them take home this plane, Mr. Radutskyi, but not to the sanatorium Prolisok.”

The story of the talk show Narod Proty is even sadder. When she worked in the magazine, Natasha Vlashchenko often criticized Ukrainian television. She criticized it for predictability and narrow circle of guests. And when we worked at ZIK the presenter accused other talk shows in the same formats. Well, we should admit that she invented original format for her program. It has turned into one of the biggest problems of the talk show.

For instance, in the first round of Narod Proty the presenter brought together pairs of speakers for discussion, but it happened that none of them was competent in the topic. Speeches of those who were present were limited in time. But politicians often ignored it. Guests with the greatest support went to the second round. They were naturally motivated to shock the audience, rather than have a constructive conversation. And resonators also took part in the air. These are two universal commentators who summarized any topics. One of them is Maks Buzhanskyi, Member of Parliament from the “Servant of the People”. He works since the first release and to this day. It is interesting when the co-presenter ran, whether Vlashchenko repeated his opinion about politics to him: “You come there and just become the scumbag there. Who either plays according to general rules, or has to leave”.

And yet, Narod Proty, like any other talk show, is primarily determined by moderation. Natasha Vlashchenko is not too different in this from herself in interviews. Akhmetov’s favourites also attend programs on Ukrayina 24. There was warm bath for Vitaliy Klytschko on one of airs. Also, the presenter didn’t prepare much for the show. She did not understand how Yanukovych could be to blame for the loss of Crimea, according to the State Bureau of Investigation. Although these reasons are literally highlighted in bold in the investigation of the SBI. By the way, as for preparation for episodes. Many presenters read their text from the screen, but only Natasha Vlashchenko constantly look to her tablet. Arms’ length approach is also out of question. For instance, during the time of ZIK, all releases of Narod Proty were pointed against then current government of Petro Poroshenko.

Perhaps the best description of Natasha Vlashchenko as the presenter and the secret of her success lies in the fact how she starts each episode of Narod Proty. The journalist states that the “most influential” political talk show of the country is on air. Facts do not matter. The main thing is to present yourself and create pleasant atmosphere for guests.

Russian classics

The most serious accusation against Vlashchenko in recent years has been participation in Russian propaganda. To be honest, this is not quite correct in Ukrainian realities. For instance, presenters of Peshyi Nezalezhnyi and the channel Nash directly deny Russian aggression, while Natasha Vlashchenko at least acknowledges responsibility of the Kremlin for annexation of Crimea and the war in the east of Ukraine. At the same time, when she invites doubtful guests to her shows, the presenter really promotes propaganda. And Vlashchenko’s personal views sound as if she have heard a lot about propaganda.

First of all, Vlashchenko is concerned about “external influence”. She equates Ukraine’s “dependence” on Russia and the West. She systematically criticizes supervisory boards and foreign officials. There is at least one block of anti-Western rhetoric in every interview of Natasha Vlashchenko with Dmytro Spivak. And, of course, the presenter does not like grant organizations, integrity commissions, anti-corruption bodies, activists in general and, it seems, activism as phenomenon.

The media woman also has specific attitude to the Ukrainian-Russian war. She seems to admit aggression behind the scenes. She even wrote the book, but on camera she tendentiously promotes the narrative of “surrendering the Crimea” (here, here, here). While Vlashchenko worked for Medvedchuk, she also imposed opinions on profits of volunteers and veteran-criminals. She hinted that Ukraine was showing loyalty to “radicals of the worst sense”. She still has trenchant comments regarding the Revolution of Dignity:Don’t you think that all riots and allegedly revolutionary changes end up in the same thing? Namely the destructive phenomena for the state itself?

Accordingly, in almost all public debates Vlashchenko’s position corresponds to the position of the Opposition Platform – For Life. Who knows maybe this is the problem of information hygiene, or the work for Medvedchuk has its effect. But you can play this game yourself. Sergiy Sternenko? He killed unarmed man. Russian vaccine? “Patriotism” must be rejected. The rampage of Lukashenko’s dictatorship? Why Ukraine is interfering. Although Vlashchenko seems to have changed her opinion regarding Belarus, at least behind the scenes.

At the same time, no matter what views the journalist has, much more accusations (which are quite justified) against Natasha Vlashchenko are heard from guests. The softness of the presenter (means silence) during the interview enters into explosive reaction with her pool of speakers, which include selected propagandists. During the work for Medvedchuk, Vlashchenko lowered herself to live stand-ups with Shariy. Immediately after moving to Akhmetov’s channel, she interviewed Olena Lukash (four times during the year). Today, the number of such people has decreased, but Yevheniy Murayev still tells the journalist about civil confrontation. Dmytro Spivak compares Ukrainian language initiatives with Nazism. Oleg Voloshyn asks why the American police did not shoot at people who tore down monuments. And Mykhaylo Dobkin justifies Berkut. You say that Natasha Vlashchenko always knows what would she like to bring new to the media field with this interview?

As a bonus, we should mention non-political (to some extent) position of the journalist. She opposes the legalization of marijuana: I helped so many addicts to get out of this hell. I know everything firsthand. And I just cannot be for it Although she previously admitted that she smoked weed several times (she did not like it). She believes that people like Borys Todurov should become flagships of fundamentally new medical reforms. It is likely that all doctors played up inflated procurements with their surrounding.

And Vlaschenko is horrible sexist. Just read her іnterviews: “I have always wondered why there are no sexy presenters on Ukrainian television? If they don’t have the hots for the TV star, then he is not the star, but the house manager or the tram driver who accidentally appeared in the wrong place”. Or, please, don’t. Read the book: “The vast majority of women in the world behave like prostitutes, and men play the miserable role of cattle drivers. They jealously watch whose mare is healthier and more thoroughbred”. It is not surprising that ZIK launched its erotic weather forecast during the time Vlaschenko came there. And it seems that the only talk show where “the presenter was woman” had the worst representation of women.

For the last seven years, Natasha Vlashchenko continues her rather successful television career. And it seems that there must be some secret, since she is successful despite warm baths, scandalous talk shows and doubtful views. But, perhaps, everything is much simpler. This set makes impossible only high-quality journalism, but the rating show… The presenter explained that she looks at everything through the eyes of businesswoman: “Everything that has the right to life should have high rating and be asked. And if three people are watching something very cool, then maybe it’s not necessary. You won’t argue with business logic, will you?

We will not. Just to conclude, let us quote twenty years old words of Natasha Vlashchenko: A lot depends on us, journalists. Don’t call everyone. Of course, it’s not scary together, but together it won’t work. Let’s try at least one by one. […] Only in this case there will be hope that one day we will wake up in the country where journalists will not be called representatives of “the oldest profession”.

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