Ukrainian version

1. MATERIALS WITH SIGNS OF ‘SPONSORSHIP'

In general, during October, summarizing newscasts of the examined TV channels featured the following quantity of social and political materials characterized by sponsorship (or censorship):

Table 1. Quantity of social and political materials characterized by sponsorship (censorship):

In October, comparing to September, the quantity of such materials decreased considerably at all channels regardless of rather high political activeness. Among the indexes of various channels, considerable improvement comparing to previous months was shown by 1+1 and 5 Kanal. Other channels maintain their positions; the indisputable threesome of ‘anti-leaders' is made up by Inter, Pershyi Kanal, and ICTV; and the true leader is STB where the quantity of such materials remains steadily low.

Table 2. Quantity of business-themed materials characterized by sponsorship:

In October, comparing to previous months, the quantity of business materials characterized by sponsorship increased at the channels owned by Viktor Pinchuk's media holding and at Ukraina. Nearly all of such materials advertise businesses or charity actions by the channels' owners or their allies.

Table 3.1. Quantity of materials characterized by sponsorship (censorship) on main directions: Positive or neutral (without parity of opinions) materials on AUTHORITIES

Table 3.2. Quantity of materials characterized by sponsorship (censorship) on main directions: Negative (without parity of opinions) materials on OPPOSITION

NOTE: The sum may not be equal to the total number(Table 1) as there are materials covering both themes as well.

The trends of positive coverage of the authorities have not changed. There are considerably less negative materials on the opposition at 5 Kanal, Ukraina, and especially, 1+1. In the previous month, the bulk of such materials at those channels was made up by numerous news concerning arrests of former members of government that were covered in unbalanced manner, mainly from the law enforcement officers' point of view.

In the materials characterized by sponsorship (censorship), channels violate the following standards:

Table 4.1. Violation of balanced opinions standard

Table 4.2. Violation of informational comprehensiveness standard

Table 4.3. Violation of separation of facts from opinions standard

Table 4.4. Violation of informational AUTHENTICITY standard

Table 4.5. Violation of informational ACCURACY standard

The main violations that give the characteristics of sponsorship (censorship) continue to be lack of balance and accuracy of materials. Lack of balance, as before, is manifested in the fact that either the floor is not given to the opposition, or only emotional accusations/apologies are quoted, whereas their argumentation is omitted. The channels give the floor to experts in complex or controversial topics  very rarely providing only estimations and forecasts by the authorities. The comprehensiveness standard is most often violated though the lack of vital backgrounds.

However, in October, the number of violations of other standards decreased. Channels abuse journalists' conclusions and estimations less; they mark information sources more diligently. Accuracy standard violations occurred most in Inter's materials through interpretation of newsmakers' words by journalists. It is noteworthy that all inaccuracies in the materials are advantageous for the authorities.

2. OMISSION OF SOCIALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION BY TV CHANNELS

For realization of political sponsorship, an important part is still played by hushing up topics and their components (attitudes and arguments from different sides, expert assessments, facts, and backgrounds) that might be unfavorable for the authorities is case they get published.

Table 5. Total quantity of hushed up topics, opinions, facts, and backgrounds:

Total quantity of omitted topics remains almost constant with only minor changes; however, the indexes of October are very far from those of summer months. The threesome of ‘leaders' in the number of omissions is the same; Inter, Pershyi Kanal, and ICTV. The best indexes are, as before, with STB and 5 Kanal. The journalists of STB try to cover topics ‘embarrassing' to the authorities thoroughly (sometimes even in the form of minor journalist investigations.) 5 Kanal presents many of such topics at least as short messages. The number of sponsored materials has decreased considerably at Ukraina; thus they outstripped 1+1 that covers many of such topics as short messages due to a large number of materials in the long summary newscast. Chief discrepancy between ‘leaders' and ‘outsiders' remains almost unchanged.

Table 6. Quantity of omissions of information concerning various protest actions by political forces and certain groups of population, legal prohibitions of such actions, and the police's blocking such actions and detaining their participants:

In October, total number of protest actions increased and so did the quantity of omissions of such topics by TV channels. Those topics were mostly covered by Ukraina and STB; whereas Inter and Pershyi Kanal were the ones mostly hushing them up.

It is worth mentioning which of the topics were omitted by al of the channels, so the broad Ukrainian public did not learn of those events at all:

Around 300 advocates of Batkivschyna прихильників were picketing Kyiv Oblast Territorial Elections Committee, demanding to register the genuine Batkivshina party in the voting list instead of its ‘clone' made by the ‘turncoat' Maybozhenko (October 2nd).

The authorities of Kyiv were trying to sue out the ban of any events in the center of the city on the 13th (Ukrainian Cossack Day) and the 14th of October (the anniversary of creation of Ukrainian Insurgent Army).

The protest action near Cabinet of Ministers against the new Tax Code. Entrepreneurs handing a cow milking machine to Azarov (October 15th).

Kyiv Regional Administrative Court banned picketing of President's Administation by Batkivschyna in order to to give foreigners a bad impression of the city (October 21st).

It is also needed to mention that many of the protest actions were covered only by a few channels, so most of the Ukrainian audience did not get a general picture of protests in this month.

Table 7. Quantity of omissions of information concerning the authorities' attack on the freedom of speech:

In October, comparing to the two preceding months, the number of events concerned with this topic was two times less. 5 Kanal, STB and Novy Kanal present news on that topic a bit more often then others. However, they do not do it as often as in the preceding months. The channels' relative positions remain unchanged; the theme of oppressing the freedom of speech is mostly off air. In particular, in the reported month, the broad public did not hear the following news at any of the channels:

The statement of Štefan Füle, the  European Commissioner, on EU's concern for lowering of democracy level in Ukraine, especially deterioration of the situation of freedom of speech and peaceful; assemblies (October 1st.)

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, in a telephone conversation with President Yanukovich, called on him to accelerate the investigation of the case of missing journalist Vasyl Klimentyev (October 8th.)

The results of Razumkov Center studies according to which political censorship in Ukraine was noted by more than half of respondents (October 8).

Dunya Mijatovic, representative of OSCE, expressed hopes that Ukrainian authorities will preserve safety of journalists work and called for continuation of the cases of Georgy Gongadze and Vasyl Klimentyev murders (October 13th.).

Table 8. Quantity of omissions of information concerned with lowering of social standards of the population or certain groups of it (increase of commodity prices, increase of tax rates, increase of utility payment rates, increase of prices for main services, raising of retirement age, closing of budget organizations and dismissal of their staff, etc.):

Table 9. Quantity of omissions of information concerning the authorities' attack on businesses:

The topic of corn crops export is revealing. For example, in October, the audience of all the eight largest TV channels could hear only statements of the authorities on that topic, whereas the following messages were not featured at any of the channels:

The statement of Ukrainian Corn Association on the limitation of crop export by the authorities and sales of those quotas by auction being ‘irresponsible' and contrary to the principle of corn market operation (October 8th.)

The statement of Ukrainian Corn Association on the total blockade of ships with corn in all Ukrainian port by the customs authorities (October 18th.)

The statement of Ukrainian Corn Association on the fact that nearly half a million ton of corn are blockaded in ports by the customs authorities (October 25th.)

Table 10. Quantity of omissions of information concerning public statements and actions of the opposition (not including violation of balanced opinions principle in sponsored materials):

Among the news that were not heard by the audience of any of the top eight channels were, in particular, the following:

The statement of President Yanukovich on his desire ‘to hear the argumentation of the claims of the pressure on the opposition in Ukraine' (October 1st.)

Deputies from Yulia Timoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc introduced to the Parliament a draft law on public broadcasting (October 12th.)

The statement of Mrs Tymoshenko that President Yanukovich did not invite leaders of the opposition to the meeting regardless of his public statement of being ready to do so (October 25th.)

3. THE THEME OF LOCAL ELECTIONS

October was the month of main pre-election campaign. Channels did not cover its course actively mostly showing official statements chiefly from representatives of the authorities. The following statistics is representative in this regard:

Table 11. Quantity of omissions of information concerned with various violations of election laws, instances of administrative pressure and criminal offenses against participants of elections process: