* The poll was conducted using the method of ‘face to face’ interview during the period of 7th and 2th of August 2015 by the sociologic company ‘FAMA’ within the framework of the complex sociologic research ‘Conflict in Media & Media in con-flict: communicating sensitive issues by means of media’. The research was ordered by the School of Journalism of Ukrainian Catholic University and the NGO ‘Lviv Media Forum’ with the financial support of the British Embassy in Ukraine. Overall, 2000 citizens of Ukraine participated in the poll. Confidential probability is 0.954; sampling error is not higher than 2.2%.

** Internally displaced persons

Loyalty or negative attitudes of Ukrainians?*

Loyal Negative attitudeModerately Loyal Moderately negative attitude

AUThOriTiES MEdiA

dEMOBiLizEdMOBiLizATiON

dECOMMUNi-zATiON

idP**

75%25%

WEST

62%38%

CENTRE

54%46%

NORTH

56%44%

SOUTH

59%41%

Ukrainians’ perception of Russian propaganda

48%52%

EAST

*** For results collected in the West, confidential probability is 0.954, sampling error is not higher than 5.2%

*** For results collected in the North, confidential probability is 0.954, sampling error is not higher than 4.9%

*** For results collected in the East, confi-dential probability is 0.954, sampling error is not higher than 5.3%

*** For results collected in the Centre, confidential probability is 0.954, sampling error is not higher than 4.7%

*** For results collected in the South, confidential probability is 0.954, sampling error is not higher than 5.4%

Ukrainians’ perception of pro-Russian propaganda***

reactto propaganda

do not react to propaganda

Topics, which are sensitive for Ukrainians: authorities, media, IDPs, demobilized soldiers, mobilization and decommunizationSocial tension, caused by the russia-Ukraine war, creates social pretext for formation of intergroup biases. These biases become the basis for the formation of stereotypes, which cause conflicts. in this way, while covering sensitive issues, journalists have to be especially careful and feel their social responsibility.

Ukrainians have most negative attitudes towardsgovernment, decommunization reform and mediaAt present moment, negative attitudes towards different issues among Ukrainians is quite high. Namely, every second Ukrainian has a negative attitude towards authori-ties (49%), every third (35%) – towards decommunization reform and media (29%). No correlation was traced between the negative attitude towards authorities and the perception of pro-russian propaganda Or macro region of respondent’s residence. Only in the North of the country, respondents’ negative attitude towards authorities is more moderate. At the same time, sensitivity towards pro-russian propaganda influences respondents’ attitude towards media. Especially it is evident among those people who voice out an absolute negativity towards Ukrainian media: among Ukrain-ians, who are influenced by pro-russian propaganda, 39.4% are absolutely negative towards the activity of Ukrainian media.

Between negativity and loyalty: IDPs, demobilized people and mobilization process

The category of those Ukrainians who demonstrate moderate negative attitude towards the issues of a special attention of this research (idPs, demobilized people, mobiliza-tion process) requires a special attention of journalists, because media coverage, among other things, influences the orientation of this group: their attitudes can shift to loyal or absolutely negative. The biggest share of Ukrainians have moderately negative attitude towards the process of mobilization (57%), idPs (49%) and demobilized people (51%). The biggest share of moderately loyal Ukrainians is towards idPs (36%), demobilized people (33%), and the process of mobilization (29%). Only 4% of Ukrainians demonstrate abso-lutely loyal attitudes to the issues mentioned above.

it is worth mentioning that personal experiences of communication with idPs do not in-fluence Ukrainians’ attitudes towards them. Both, people who had experience of commu-nication with idPs and those who did not communicate with them, demonstrate negative attitude towards internally displaces persons. instead, propaganda influences Ukrainians’ sympathy towards idPs: among those who are influenced by propaganda, 70,7% are moderately or absolutely biased towards idPs. At the same time, place of residence of respondents does not influence their attitudes towards idPs.

Those Ukrainians who are influenced by propaganda are more inclined to have nega-tive attitude towards demobilized people and the mobilization process in general. Again, respondents’ place of residence does not influence their attitude towards mobilization. At the same time, this factor (place of residence) influence respondents’ attitude towards demobilized people. in the West, number of those who demonstrate negative attitude towards their demobilized compatriots is substantially lower (6.9%) than in the North (14.3%), the East (19.8%), Central part of the country (16.7%) or in the South (11.5%). Again, communication with demobilized people or the fact of mobilization of family member (s) do not influence attitudes of Ukrainians towards mobilization and demobilized people.

Along with negative attitudes towards the authorities, Ukrainians do not approve such reform as decommunization. 89.5% of respondents demonstrate negative at-titude towards decommunization. Among them are people who are against decom-munization because of ideological reasons, and those who think that this reform is superficial and introduced not timely. respondents in their attitudes towards decom-munization are not influenced by their perception of pro-russian propaganda. At the same time, regional differentiation is quite vivid: the share of respondents who are moderately loyal to this reform is bigger in Western Ukraine.

Most popular news resources among all-Ukraine TV channels*

89%use TV in order to get news

(Share from an overall number of respondentswho use TV as news source)

55%

46%

19%

18%

17%

17%

9%

7%

4%

3%

3%

3%

2%

1%

1%

1+1

112 Ukraine

24 Channel

New Channel

UA: First

NTN

2+2

Еспресо TV

K1

Mega

Inter

Ukraine

ICTV

STB

5 Channel

31%respondents use social networks as news souse

Most popular social networks*

(Share from an overall number of respondents who use social networks

to get news)

65%

38%

33%

4%1%

1%

Vkontakte

Odnoklassniki

Facebook

Twitter

Moi MirInstagram

* The poll was conducted using the method of ‘face to face’ interview during the period of 7 and 2th of August 2015 by the sociologic company ‘FAMA’ within the framework of the complex sociologic research ‘Conflict in Media & Media in conflict: communicating sensitive topics by means of media’. The research was ordered by the School of Journalism of Ukrainian Catholic University and the NGO ‘Lviv Media Forum’ with the financial support of the British Embassy in Ukraine. Overall, 2000 citizens of Ukraine participated in the poll. Confidential probability is 0.954, sampling error is not higher than 2.2%.

Questions were open-ended, respondents were not provided with types of responses. They indicated those TV channels or social networks which they had been using during the last week before the poll.

What role media outlets played in the intensification of present-day conflicts in Ukraine? What else can cause dissatisfaction of Ukrainians?

The project ‘Media in conflict & conflict in media: communicating sensitive issues by means of media’ aims to answer these questions, and, along with Ukrainian media outlets, to try to decrease the level of tensions in society. This project’s aim is not to criticize Ukrainian media, but to find a common ground for understanding between authorities, media and society, and to eliminate the threat of challenges hanging over Ukraine.

Sociologists conducted in-depth interviews with more than 50 experts in the sphere of media studies, journalism, sociology, political science, anthropology and conflict studies. in addition, the all-Ukraine representative poll and focus groups in Lviv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and dnipropetrovsk have been conducted.

We are sincerely grateful to all participants of this research for their input. We strongly hope that this research will stimulate Ukrainian media for wise decisions.

With regards, NGO ‘Lviv Media Forum’, School of Journalism, Ukrainian Catholic University

This publication was funded by the British Embassy in Ukraine as part of the project ‘Media in conflict & conflict in media: communicating sensitive issues by means of media’ imple-mented by Ukrainian Catholic University and NGO ‘Lviv Media Forum’. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and may not coincide with the official position of the UK Government.

details of the research results you can find on the official website of NGO ‘Lviv Media Forum’: lvivmediaforum.com