Top channels’ news: March, the first week

During the first week of March 25% of all news reports were related to political events in Ukraine (the third week of January – 20%, the first week of February – 25%). TVi features the biggest share – 39% (February – 51%, January – 34%), followed by Novy Channel – 37% (February – 30%) and ICTV – 37% (February – 30%). 1+1 channel news include 59% of non-political reports (in January – 69%, in February – 66%). TVi broadcast the biggest share of the international political news related to Ukraine – 9% (in February it was TRC Ukraine – 10%). TRC Ukraine is also the leader in terms of broadcasting the international news not related to Ukraine – 36% (in February – 29%, in January – Novy Channel was the leader – 40%).
Domestic policy, government bodies’ activities – 38% (in February - 43%, in January 39%), social support sphere – 28% (in February - 24%) and crime – 20% (in February - 21%, in January - 28%) constitute the key topics for news. Culture – 15% (in February -13%, in January - 17%) S. Vlasenko case (10%), car accidents, disasters (8%) are the most frequently mentioned events.
Balance in the news reports. 27% of the reports included several viewpoints (in January - 18%, in February – 24%). STB’s share of the news with several viewpoints is 38%, Inter’s - 36% (in February – 32%). In March – two viewpoints were provided in 44% of the reports (in February – 43%, in January - 36%). STB featured the largest share (54%, in February - 55%) followed by Inter (52%). 88% of the reports on political events at UT-1 included only one viewpoint (in February – 83%, in Janary – 100%).

19 key events were being discussed in the news from different positions (in February – 23, in January – 17). Ye. Shcherban’ case, the anniversary of Stalin’s death, S. Vlasenko case: there were the topics, which received the most variable interpretation.
56% of the reports (in February – 63%, in January - 67%) were presented in conflict and negative contexts. The biggest share belongs to STB (73%) and TVi (70%, in February – 76%), the smallest share - UT-1 – 23% (in February – 36%, in January - 40%). The positive context’s median share is 12% (in February – 11%, in January - 12%), Novy channel had the biggest share – 28% (in February also at Novy – 23%, in January – UT-1 – 20%).
In February the events are mostly commented by citizens (38%, in February - 41%) and officials (30%, in February - 33%) (in January – citizens and officials – 41% each).

Political parties, persons and institutions. The attention to political parties, political persons and institutions constitutes 25%, 39%, 62% (in February -18%, 40% and 68% respectively, in January – 13%, 33%, and 71%). Courts and judiciary system (24%, in February – 17%, in January – 21%) and the enforcement agencies (21%, in February – 21%, in January – 32%) are the most frequently mentioned among political institutions. The doubtful and negative evaluations were mostly related to the Administration of the President (67%), Ukraine in general (46%) and enforcement agencies – 20% (in February - local government bodies - 32%), enforcement agencies and the Cabinet of Ministries –21 % each.

The leaders of attention in news programs are as follows: the Opposition in general (12%, in February -11%), VO Batkivshchyna – 10% (in February – 8%) and the Party of Regions – 9% (in January 9% as well). The ironic and negative evaluations (similarly to February) are related both to the Opposition in general and the Party of Regions in equal parts.

S. Vlasenko was provided with the largest share of attention in the news programs (12%, Yanukovych was leader in February – 9%), followed by Yu. Tymoshenko – 11%, V. Yanukovych – 8%, A. Yatsenyuk – 8% and M. Azarov – 7%. 20 politicians are mentioned in 1% and more reports (in February – 27, in January - 22). 74% of the mentions are provided in neutral context (in February – 84%, in January – 81%). The doubtful and negative context was most often added to the reports covering A. Derkach (80%), A. Verevsky (58%), O. Hereha (50%), T. Povaliy (50%), V. Rybak (44%), V. Makeyenko (43%), S. Vlasenko (41%).

Direct speech. In March the largest share of direct speech was allocated for A. Yatsenyuk – 14%. 18% of the direct speech was allocated for President Yanukovych and M. Azarov, the Prime Minister combined (10% and 8% respectively, in February – 24%, in Jnauary – 19%). O. Yefremov was allocated with 9% of direct speech, S. Vlasenko – 5%, O. Kuzhel – 4%.

In March the direct speech of the politicians (more than 20 sec) is 0.9 of the direct speech in February – 4058 sec vs. 4619 (in January - 3494 sec.).

39% of all the mentions about politicians are related to Batkivshchyna party (in February – 22%, in January – 38%), 33% - the Party of Regions (in February – 36%, in January – 33%), Svoboda – 7% (in February – 7%), UDAR – 5% (in February – 9%). In general terms, during the first week of March the attention to the to the opposition is by 1.2 times more than that to the ruling coalition representatives – 51% vs. 44% (in February it was vice versa – by 1.3 times more in favor for the ruling coalition; in January –- by 1.2 times).

The direct speech of the of Batkivshchyna party and faction members constitutes 36% (in February – 16%, in January - 38%), in the Novy channel news’ its share is 50%, TVi – 49%. 34% was allocated for the Party of Regions (in February – 46%, in January – 33%), UT-1 features 52% share (in February – 58%).
STB allocated the largest share of direct speech for Svoboda party (15%) followed by TRC Ukraine (11%). 1+1 allocated the biggest share for UDAR – 4%, UT-1 – for CPU – 5%. Overall, the share of the direct speech allocated for the government representatives is 1.2 times more than that of the opposition – 50% vs 42% (in February the difference was 2.1 times, in January - 1.4 times).

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