АУП > News release > NEWS OF SEPTEMBER: IMBALANCE IN FAVOR OF GOVERNMENT REMAINS

NEWS OF SEPTEMBER: IMBALANCE IN FAVOR OF GOVERNMENT REMAINS

05.10.2015

The Academy of Ukrainian Press conducted the research involving scientists from the Institute of Sociology NAS of Ukraine applying prime time (19:00-23:00) news content analysis to 7 leading Ukrainian TV channels – ‘Inter’, ‘1+1’, ‘Ukraina’, ‘STB’, ‘ICTV’, ‘First National’ and the ‘5th Channel’.

46% of the news stream is political news in Ukraine (in September, 2014 – 54%).
Comparing with the previous year news became less focused on Ukrainian central power.
14% of messages with several points of view on events, that remains on the same level as in previous level.
State domestic policy, activity of governmental institutions is the most frequently mentioned main topic of the messages. Comparing with the previous year, the quantity of struggle against corruption packages.
Local elections as the main and extra topic are present in 6% of messages (at the end of September, 2014 – in 20%).
The elections legitimacy is questioned in 14% of messages.
Comparing with September, 2014, the quantity of messages referring to the events in the East has reduced.
The force structures among institutions as well as Radical party of Oleh Lyashko and Petro Poroshenko political bloc among political fractions appear to be the leaders of attention.
Attention imbalance in favor of government: attention to the governing coalition is 4 times higher than to opposition.

The actuality of government representatives is 3.3 times higher than one of opposition representatives. Central power institutions and P. Poroshenko bloc enjoy the highest quantity of direct quoting.

The month before elections, 46% of the news program messages referred to political events in Ukraine (during the fourth week of September, 2014, the month before elections in Verkhovna Rada this percentage made 54%). The most of messages are presented on ‘Ukraina’ channel (55%, last year 78%) and ICTV (52%, last year 77%), the least of them are on 1+1 channel (35%) and ‘Inter’ (39%).

State domestic policy, is the most frequently mentioned main topic of the messages – 23% (in September, 2014 – 15%). 12% are devoted to the war in the east of Ukraine (last year 28%), 10% -social domain. The quantity of struggle against corruption reportages has significantly increased as the main and extra topic making 13% (last year 3%). It is the highest on ‘Inter’ (19%), ‘Ukraina’ and ICTV (15% on both). The events in Kyiv (44%) and in the East (27%) are in the focus of attention to weekly news.

The elections to local institutions as the main and extra topic appear in 6% of messages (20% in 2014). The most frequently they are informed about on the news channels ‘Ukraina’ (10%), ‘Inter’ and ICTV (9%). It is referred to elections in ‘DPR’ and ‘LPR’ in 2% of all messages and it is not spoken about their illegitimacy.

From Ukrainian side, among the participants of the current conflict the most attention is drawn to the state, its institutions (22%, last year in September it was 31%) and military forces (19%, lat year it was 34%). From the other side, the attention is paid to Russia and its leading institutions (8%, 34% last year), to the ‘DPR’ and ‘LPR’ military units it made 6% (11% last year) and to the civil people of the Eastern regions it was 5% (10% in September 2014).

Among the foreign leaders of the Normandy Format, V. Putin is referred to most frequently (2%). From Ukrainian side, those suffered in ATO zone, captives, wounded and killed are mentioned in the most positive manner (22% each group). Some negative and ironic evaluation is most frequently addressed to volunteer battalions (36%). Civil people in the East are evaluated rather neutrally (91%, last year, in September 93%). Illegal armed groups of ‘DPR’ and ‘LPR’ as well as Novorosia Russia and its state institutions, Russian armed forces are evaluated from 23% to 75% predominantly in a negative manner.

Ukrainian participants of the conflict were most frequently marked as patriots, activists, volunteers (9%), those suffered in ATO zone, captives, hostages (4%), families and relatives of militaries (4%), Ukrainian militaries, refugees, displaced persons (3%). There are some few references to ‘domestic smugglers’.

The opposite side of the conflict is called in Ukrainian news as terrorists, fighters, mercenaries, bandits (12%), aggressor, enemy, adversaries (5%), peaceful people of Eastern Ukraine (4%), Russian militaries, saboteurs (2%) and sometimes ‘separatists’ and ‘occupants’ (1% for each one).

14% of messages generally contained several points of view (12% in September, 2014). The most of them, as also in the previous year, are presented on ‘STB’ and ‘Ukraina’ channels – 21%

10% of messages were commented on in the negative context (13% last year). It was the most vivid on ‘STB’ and ‘The 5th Channel’ (15% on each one). It was the most reduced on ‘Ukraina’ and ‘Inter’ channels (8%). The positive context makes in average 12%, it is the most on ICTV channel (20%).

Attention to political parties, personalities, institutions made 24%, 46% and 80% respectively (28%, 47%, 75% last year). Among the political institutions, the most frequently mentioned are military offices (47%, in September, 2014 it was 35%), Verkhovna Rada (19%), Court and Public Prosecutor’s Office (18%). Doubtful and negative evaluations are most frequently addressed to the Supreme Court (50%) and National Bank (25%). Political institutions were evaluated the most critically in STB news (22%).

The leaders of attention to political organizations in September news programs became Radical Party of O. Lyashko (8%), P. Poroshenko bloc and the governing coalition (5% for each one). The most frequently positive/neutral and negative opinions were referred to the Radical Party of O. Lyashko (6% and 4% respectively).

The most active attention in news is driven to P. Poroshenko (10%, last year 13%), A. Yatsenyuk (6%) and I. Mosiychuk (5% to each one). Ironic and negative evaluations were most frequently addressed to Y. Syrotyuk (100%), I. Shvaika (100%), I. Mosiychuk (66%).

49 politics and public officers had more than 40 seconds actuality. The most actuality amount belongs to P. Poroshenko and A. Yatsenyuk (8% to each one), I. Mosiychuk (7%), V. Groisman (4%), O. Lyashko (4%), N. Korolevska (4%), A. Lysenko (4%), Y. Tymoshenko (3%).

Among the parties which apply for occupying places at local municipality institutions, they refer most frequently to P. Poroshenko bloc (18%), Radical party of Oleh Lyashko (12%), Narodnyi Front (People’s Front, 10%, the party will not participate in elections officially), Batkivshchyna (Nationwide Union ‘Motherland’, 6%), Svoboda (Freedom) and Oppositional bloc (4% to each one). There is some careful attention to non-partisan representatives in central government institution (17%). However, attention is low to the regional power (2%). In general, attention to the ruling authorities is 4 times more active than to opposition (62% vs. 15%). Last year, in September, it was 8 times more active.

The most quantity of actuality is devoted to the central government representatives (21%, last year 24%) like P. Poroshenko bloc representatives (18%), Radical party of Oleh Lyashko (12%), Narodnyi Front (People’s Front, 10%), Oppositional bloc (9%), Batkivshchyna (Nationwide Union ‘Motherland’) and Samopomich (Self-reliance) have 4% each one. All in all, the quantity of comments and messages of the government representatives makes 3.3 times more (last year, 6 times) than the quantity of direct quoting of those who belong to opposition (65% vs. 20%).

All the detailed information regarding this research you can find on AUP website

This research is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Internews. The contents are the sole responsibility of the Academy of Ukrainian Press and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government and Internews.