The Academy of Ukrainian Press with the participation of scientists from the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Ukraine and Belarussia conducted the research by content analysis of seven leading televission channels (19:00-23:00) - Inter », « 1 + 1 », « Ukraine », STB, ICTV, UA: First and 5th channel.
In the second half of 2019 the political landscape of the country was almost completely renewed: other political parties, factions, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, the executive and personalities in public space.
The Verkhovna Rada is structured differently: the mono-majority (Servant of the People), the democratic opposition (Fatherland, European Solidarity, Voice), the opposition (OPZZH), parliamentary groups and non-party groups that vote on the situation.
Compared to February 2019 news became more Ukraine-centric: the share of all other news about Ukraine in the news flow increased by 11% - from 34% to 45%. The share of health reports has increased 1.5 times from 13% to 19%. New stories related to COVID-19 make up 24% of the total. The topic of reforms in Ukraine was practically not discussed. Attention to the topic of corruption has decreased 2 times (4 times compared to March 2019). The attention to the Armed Forces among the participants of the war in Donbass decreased (8% vs. 12%). The proportions of attention to political parties, individuals and institutions have changed insignificantly: 1: 2.4: 5 in 2021 and 1: 2.1: 3.9 in February 2019. The difference in the political preferences of the news programs of the channels and in the subject of the messages is steadily reproduced.
In the news stream of the third week of February, 45% on average is not political news about Ukraine. Most of them on channel 1 + 1 - 62%. Political news about Ukraine is mostly on the 5th - 56%, and international - on Inter (27%). The main sources of information are own correspondents - 54% (in March 2019 - 51%, in February 2018 - 57%) and official sources - 45% (in March 2019 - 40%, in February 2018 - 42%). The share of messages linking to Facebook and Twitter was 11% (8% in March 2019, 9% in February 2018).
Internal policy, government activities 13% (10% in February 2019), criminality - 11% (15% in February 2019) and the social area (10%, 11% in February 2019) the most frequently mentioned main topics of communication. The share of health reporting as the main and additional topics increased from 13% in February 2019 to 19% in February 2021. Attention to the topic of combating corruption decreased from 13% in March 2019 (in February 2019 - 6%) to 3% in February this year. The topic of reforms in Ukraine is almost not mentioned. The topic of crime as the main one is most often presented on STB (16%) and 1 + 1 (13%), the share of the topic of war is the largest on Channel 5 and ICTV (16%, 14%) and the topic of combating corruption is on Inter and Channel 5 (6%, 5% as main and additional).
The topic of vaccination of the population (main and additional) is mentioned on average in 7% of reports. Most often on the First channel (10%), Inter and 5th (9%). The tone of reports is mostly conflicting (58%). The stories about the dynamics of morbidity the largest share (28%) of the negative context of the discussion. Among the vaccines mentioned are mainly Pfizer / BioNTech and AstraZeneca (3%). They are often evaluated positively (5% and 8%), but the AstraZeneca is doubtful. Russian Sputnik V is mentioned singly.
The government and ministers are the main responsible for the supply of vaccines, mentioned most often - 3%. The positive is present in the evaluations of the Covax vaccine supply program (12%). In the assessments of the government and ministers, a significant share of questionable and negative assessments (38%), this also applies to companies responsible for the delivery of vaccines to Ukraine (25%). Among the specific events in the news of the week, crime, road accidents, fires - 13%, the consequences of snowdrifts - 10%, anniversaries of Maidan, the war in the East and statistics on coronavirus - 9%.
Among Ukrainian participants in the war in Donbass, the attention is paid to the state - 20%, to the Armed Forces - 8% (12% in February 2019). On the other hand - to Russia and governing bodies - 10% (12% in February 2019). The First and 5th channels more often spoke of refugees, wounded and dead. Minsk agreements were mentioned in 2% of reports (5% in February 2019), the Normandy format was not mentioned. 12% of reports on political events in general were from several points of view (in February 2019 - 20%). Most of them on the 5th - 16% and 1 + 1 - 15%
(in February 2019 on the First - 33%), and the least on "Ukraine" - 9% (in February 2019 - 10%).
In the presentation of scandalous or ambiguous events the share of messages from several points of view increases. For istance, "Customs clearance of cars with Euro number " - 67%, "On service in the Ukrainian language" - 67%, "Situation on the energy market of Ukraine" - 50%.
Attention to political parties, political figures, political institutions amounted to 15%, 36%, 75%, respectively (in February 2019 - 20%, 41%, 78%). Among political institutions, law enforcement agencies are most often mentioned - 37% (in February 2019 - 34%), Ministries - 14% (in February 2019 - 11%), local authorities - 16% (in February 2019 - 13%). Doubtful and negative assessments are most often addressed to the National Bank - 40% (in February 2019 - 9%) and the Constitutional Court - 38% (in February 2019 - 50%). Political institutions were most critically evaluated in Inter news - 22% (in February 2019 also 22%).
The leaders of attention to political organizations in the news programs of February are OPFL - 4%, Servant of the People - 4%, European Solidarity - 3%, Golos - 3%, Fatherland - 2%. OPFL was estimated both most positively - 4% and most often negatively - 1%. Among politicians, the greatest attention to V. Zelensky - 7%, M. Stepanov - 5%, V. Lyashko - 3%, D. Shmygal - 3%, V. Medvedchuk, P. Poroshenko, D. Razumkov, O. Danilov, I. Venedictova - 2%( was most often positively assessed - 9%). Ironically and negatively was reported about N. Lavrenyuk, as well as about T. Kozak - 78%, V. Yanukovych - 81%, V. Medvedchuk - 67%.
In the news of February the largest share of synchrony in O. Danilov - 9%, V. Lyashko - 6%, D. Shmygal, M. Stepanov, D. Hetmantsev - 5%. The whole synchrony of Y. Boyko (107 sec. - on the Inter channel).
Attention to the elements of the political configuration of power in the news: the majority - 46%, the democratic opposition - 15%, the opposition - 7%, the situation - 1%, others - 31% (in February 2019, the coalition - 43%, democratic opposition - 25%, opposition - 10%, others - 22%). The greatest attention to the democratic opposition on ICTV - 21%, to the opposition on the 5 TH channel - 12%. The synchrony is distributed as follows: mono-majority - 45%, democratic opposition - 18%, opposition - 5%, situation - 1%, others - 31% (in February 2019: ruling coalition - 40%, democratic opposition - 24%, opposition - 22%, others - 14%, the largest share of the synchronicity of the democratic opposition on the STB channel - 31%, the opposition on the Inter channel - 19%.
Among political parties, the highest attention is paid to employees of central authorities - 40%, the President and the Servant of the People - 17%, European Solidarity and OPFL - 7% each. Employees of central authorities have the largest share of synchronicity - 45%, the President and the Servant of the People - 16%, regional authorities, European Solidarity and the Voice - 7% each, OPFL - 5%. The channels are steadily segmented according to their strategies to distribute live broadcasts between representatives of different political forces.
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