- Four months before the elections TV news programs remain nearly indifferent to politics: only every 7th message is related to politics, 2012 elections are mentioned only in the context of any other main event. Dominating topic of news messages – Euro 2012.
- Growing misbalance: attention paid to representatives of ruling power and ruling coalition in the news programs is three times higher compared to the opposition. In terms of sync/soundbite, overbalance of the ruling power is 4.6 times;
- In June, the ruling power and ruling coalition was most often mentioned on Inter (78%).
- Political news. Over the first week of June, only 16% of news programs’ messages were related to political events in Ukraine (this is 5 % less compared to April and February, and almost 2,5 times less compared to the same period during 2007 elections). Over the first week of June the country opened European Football Cup: in 28% Euro 2012 was named as the main event, while storms and their consequences were the main event only in 7% of cases, language related law in the Parliament - 3%, protest actions and actions in favor of the language law – only 2%. 2012 elections were mentioned only in the context of the main event (2%); Tymoshenko case was mentioned only rarely (1%, in April - 6%, in February - 2%). Only TVi informed about journalists’ visit to Mezhyhirya and international reaction to legal cases against opposition leaders.
- Conflict related context. Conflictual/conflict related context of discussion of events was the lowest over the last months of monitoring research – 42% vs 50% in April and 55% in February. Political events in conflict related context were mentioned only in 51% of messages (in April - 59%, in February - 63%). This context is the highest at TVi – 54% and 1+1 – 50% (in April it was 62% and 58% accordingly). In June the lowest conflict related context was at the First National Channel – 28%. Three months in a row the share of positive context is the highest at Novy Kanal – 31% (in April - 14%, and in February - 12%).
- Political institutions, parties, and persons. The trend towards shift of attention towards political persons, political parties and political institutions, which was revealed in April, further continued in June. Attention to political actors is the lowest over the last three months of monitoring research: 10%, 32%, 60%. Among political institutions the most often mentioned players are local authorities (16%), law enforcement agencies (12%) and the President (12%). In June, leaders of attention among political parties – Party of the Regions (6%) and opposition in general (5%); attention to other parties is minimal. Negative and ironical shade of messages more often accompanied the information on opposition in general (3.5%).
- Political persons. Attantion. In June, the overbalance in distribution of attention and soundbite/sync has grown in favor of representatives of ruling power and ruling coalition: in terms of attention the proportion is 3 to 1, and in terms of sync – 4.6 to 1 (in April, respectively, 1,4 to 1 and 3 to 1). Leaders of attention in news programs of the first week of June were the President, V. Yanukovych (11%), Prime Minister, М.Azarov (5%), Y. Tymoshenko (3%, in April - 12%, in February - 9%). 69% of all references to politicians is related to representatives of ruling power and ruling coalition ї, 23% - opposition and 8% - other politicians (in April, accordingly, 48%, 35%, 17%, and in February - 63%, 29%, 8%). In June, representatives of ruling power and ruling coalition were most often mentioned on Inter (78%) and the First National Channel – (77%), and opposition politicians – on Novy Kanal – 33% and STB – 29%.
- Political persons. Soundbite/sync. 1/3 of all sync was allocated to the President of Ukraine, V.Yanukovych and Prime Minister, M.Azarov – 34% (in April - 19%, in February - 22%, in September last year - 30%, in June last year - 47%), and the sync of the President of Ukraine accounts for nearly ¼ (23%) and is absent only in TVi news. Overall, 74% of sync was allocated to the representatives of ruling power, 16% - opposition, 10% - other politicians (in April, accordingly, 67%, 22%, 11%, in February - 65%, 25%, 10%). Direct speech of representatives of ruling power and ruling coalition on Inter totaled 83%, on 1+1 - 80%, on the First National Channel - 79% (in April - 88%, in February - 86%). The sync of opposition representatives was the largest on Novy Kanal - 33% (in April it was also the largest - 39%).
Monitoring research was carried out by the Academy of Ukrainian Press (AUP) with participation of scientists of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine through the method of content analysis of prime-time news programs of 8 leading Ukrainian TV channels – Inter, 1+1, Novy Kanal, TRC “Ukrayna”, СТB, ICTV, UT-1, and TVi.
Proposed analysis is part of continuous media monitoring conducted by the Academy of Ukrainian Press since 2002.
This monitoring research became possible due to the support of the American people. Monitoring results shall be the exclusive responsibility of the Academy of Ukrainian Press and not necessarily reflect the opinion of USAID and Internews Network.
One of the founders of this monitoring research is International Renaissance Foundation.
Contact persons:
Oksana Voloshenyuk, AUP Director
Tel: +38- 067-504-9802
Email: info@aup.com.ua
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