АУП > News release > In early February the political news on TV was the most balanced since 2002

In early February the political news on TV was the most balanced since 2002

05.03.2013

The Academy of Ukrainian Press continues to monitor the prime time news of the most popular Ukrainian TV channels:

The share of the balanced news (with two viewpoints) – 24% - was the highest within the whole monitoring timeframe, TVi and Inter are the leaders in broadcasting the most balanced news during the first week of February;
The attention to political figures as well as the direct speech were the most balanced at Inter and TVi;
Enforcement agencies and ministries remain the leaders of attention among the political institutions;
the Opposition (in general) and the Party of Regions are in the focus of attention among political groups;
the attention to the ruling coalition representatives is by 1.3 times higher than that to the opposition representative (in January - by 1.2 times);
in February the direct speech of the government representatives exceeded that of the opposition by 2.1 time (in January – by 1.4 times, in December – the difference was by 2.4 times in favor of the government representatives).

Political news. During the first week of February 25% of all news reports were related to political events in Ukraine (the third week of January – 20%). TVi features the biggest share – 51% (January – 34%), followed by Novy Channel – 30% and ICTV – 30%. 1+1 channel news include 66% of non-political reports (in January – 69%). TRC Ukraine broadcast the biggest share of the international political news related to Ukraine – 10% (media share for all channels – 7%). TRC Ukraine is also the leader in terms of broadcasting the international news not related to Ukraine – 29% (in January – Novy Channel was the leader – 40%).

Domestic policy, government bodies’ activities (43%, in January 39%), social support sphere (24%) and crime (21%, in January - 28%) constitute the key topics for news. Culture (13%, in January - 17%) and crime (10%, in January - 14%) are the most frequently mentioned events.

Balance in the news reports. 24% of the reports included several viewpoints (in January - 18%). TVi news’s share of the news with several viewpoints is 42%, Inter’s - 32%. In February – two viewpoints were provided in 43% of the reports (in January - 36%, in December 2012 - 27%). STB featured the largest share (55%) followed by TVi (52%, in January - 60%). 83% of the reports on political events at UT-1 included only one viewpoint (in Janary – 100%).

23 key events were being discussed in the news from different positions (in January – 17, in December – 18). Personal voting in the Parliament, blocking the Parliament, the events related to Kyiv City Council: there were the topics, which received the most variable interpretation.

63% of the reports (in January - 67%, in December 2012 - 60%) were presented in conflict and negative contexts. The biggest share belongs to TVi (76%) and Inter (71%, in January TRC Ukraine – 75%, STB – 74%), the smallest share - UT-1 – 36% (in January - 40%). The positive context’s median share is 11% (in January - 12%, in December - 8%), Novy channel had the biggest share – 23% (in January – UT-1 – 20%).

In February the events are mostly commented by citizens (41%) and officials (33%) (in January – citizens and officials – 41% each).

Political parties, persons and institutions. The attention to political parties, political persons and institutions constitutes 18%, 40% and 68% respectively (in January – 13%, 33%, and 71%). Enforcement agencies are the most frequently mentioned among political institutions – 21% (in January – 32%, in December – 24%)), followed by the court and the judiciary system – 17% (in January - 21%). The doubtful and negative evaluations were mostly related to local government bodies (in February and January - 32%), enforcement agencies and the Cabinet of Ministries –21 % each (in January – the Cabinet of Ministers – 23%, the court and the judiciary system – 21%).

The leaders of attention in news programs are as follows: the Opposition in general (11%) and the Party of Regions – 9% (in January – Batkivshchyna parliamentary faction – 6% and the opposition in general – 2%). The ironic and negative evaluations are related both to the Opposition in general and the Party of Regions in equal parts.

V. Yanukovych was provided with the largest share of attention in the news programs (9%), followed by M. Azarov. Prime Minister and A. Yatsenyuk (7% each) (in January – V. Yanukovych and Yu. Tymoshenko – 8% each), V. Klychko (6%). O. Yefremov (5%), Yu. Tymoshenko (5%). 27 politicians are mentioned in 1% and more reports (in January the number was 22, in December – 26). 84% of the mentions are provided in neutral context (in January – 81%, in December – 86%). The doubtful and negative context was most often added to the reports covering M. Chechetov (42%), V. Rybak (37%), R. Bohatyryova (33%), Yu. Lutsenko (32%), Yu. Tymoshenko (30%).

Direct speech. In February 24% of the direct speech was allocated for President Yanukovych and M. Azarov, the Prime Minister combined (12% each, in January – 19%, in December – 21%). A. Yatsenyuk was allocated with 8% of direct speech, O. Yefremov – 7%, V. Klychko, G. Gerega and V. Rybak – 4% each.

In February the direct speech of the politicians is 1.3 times more than that in January – 4619 sec. vs. 3494 sec.

36% of all the mentions about politicians are related to the Party of Regions (in January – 33%, in December – 40%), 22% - Batkivshchyna party (in January – 38%, in December – 22%), UDAR – 9%, Svoboda – 7%. In general terms, during the first week of February the attention to the ruling coalition representatives is by 1.3 times more than that to the opposition – 53% vs 40% (in January – 51% vs 43% - by 1.2 times).

The direct speech of the Party of Regions constitutes 46% (in January - 33%, in December - 37%), UT-1 – 58%. 16% of the direct speech was allocated for Batkivshchyna party and faction members (in January - 38%, in December – 18%), STB features the largest share (24%) followed by Inter (23%). Novy channel allocated the largest share of direct speech for Svoboda party (15%), STB for UDAR – 16%, STB and TRC Ukraine for CPU – 3% each. Overall, the share of the direct speech allocated for the government representatives is 2.1 times more than that of the opposition – 64% vs 31% (in January the difference was 1.4 times – 49% vs 36%, in December the gap was 2.6 times).