On details of the monitoring methodology, please click here.

On the monitoring for July 2015, please click here.

1. Materials with violations of professional standards that may evidence about their ordered nature (censorship). 

Totally during the reporting week, there was such number of materials on social and political subjects with violations of professional standards in the final daily news programs of the monitored TV channels that may evidence about their ordered nature (censorship):

Table 1. Total number of materials with violations of professional standards that may evidence about their ordered nature (censorship):

 Note: data for 2015 are the data for 19–24 of October, 13–19 of July, 20–25 of April, 19–24 of January; for 2014 are the data for 6–11 of October, 1–7 of September.

In the reporting week of October, there were a large number of materials with serious violations of standards that may evidence about their ordered character on Ukraine and Inter channels. There were much less such materials on other channels, and almost none was on UA: First.

Most materials with serious violations of standards that may evidence about their ordered character concerned namely election campaign on the reporting week. Such materials were mostly on Inter and Ukraine channels.

On Inter such materials had standards violated in favor of Opposition Bloc and its separate representatives:

On 19th of October — Oppobloc will appeal against non-registration of Dobkin.

On 20th of October there is an unbalanced report from the meeting of ‘opposition government’.

The material about claim of Puzanov, a candidate for Mayor of Kyiv from Oppobloc, regarding tariffs.

Yuriy Boyko comments on problems of a plant in Bila Tserkva as an expert (!).

On 21st of October there is a report about representatives of Oppobloc Puzanov and Rabinovich having “a day of good deeds. A charity event under such name was held by the opposition. They came to one of the capital orphanages with presents. 25 children live here. The politicians brought them a plasma TV set, computer, toys and sweets“.

The same day there is a material about signing by Oleksandr Vilkul of a memorandum with some public organization.

On 22nd of October Opposition Bloc blames Coalition in violations at the future elections on the channel without a balance. This very day the leader of the bloc Yuriy Boyko stands as expert again in the material about farmers’ problems with payment for gas. One more material is about Vilkul and Kuchma stating that Pivdenmash must be saved.

On 23rd of October Opposition Bloc and Mykhailo Dobkin state about future falsifications at the elections against them in Kharkiv region.

Besides, on 22nd of October on Inter there is a material about Yulia Tymoshenko’s trip to Madrid, and on 23rd of October – about a meeting organized by People’s Deputy Serhii Kaplin, close to the channel co-owner Serhii Liovochkin, and his Party of Ordinary People.

On 19th of October on Inter there is a material about UKROP member Oleksandr Shevchenko bribing electors in Ivano-Frankivsk. On 23rd of October there is a material with proofless and unbalanced accusations of the competitors of Opposition Bloc at Kyiv elections in the bribing of electors. On 24th of October there is an accusation of Borys Filatov in sending his fighters as observers in Dnipropetrovsk.

On 20th of October on Ukraine there is a statement of a Zaporizhian representative of Oppobloc. One more material with comments from Vilkul on arrival in Dnipropetrovsk of Metropolitan Onufriy (UOC). On 21st of October Dobkin talks about participation of Oppobloc in the elections in Kharkiv. On 22nd of October Vilkul and Kuchma talk about Pivdenmash. On 23rd of October they talk about Vilkul being ‘framed’.

And Ukraine gave materials, unbalanced and without newsbreak, about the lasting Oleh Liashko’s ‘tariff maydan’ every day during the week.

During the reporting week Inter and Ukraine made unbalanced and incomplete reports on elections process in Mariupol. The representatives of Oppobloc mainly commented on the situation, or there were unbalanced statements of Head of CEC Mykhailo Okhendovskiy in favor of opposition forces. With that both channels carefully passed over the key moment of the conflict, namely that ballots were printed at Akhmetov’s enterprise.

Also, periodically both channels broadcasted without balance about meetings of the Constitutional Court on the Law on lustration. Preference was given to comments of the member of Oppobloc Yuriy Miroshnichenko, opinion of People’s Deputy Yehor Soboliev was distorted by journalist’s conclusions.

During the week there were 5 materials in favor of Opposition Bloc and 6 materials in favor of representatives of other political forces (Korban, BPP, Nash Kray, Klitchko, Tymoshenko and Kaplin) on ICTV.

There were three such election materials on STB. On 22nd of October there is a statement by Kuchma and Vilkul about the saving of Pivdenmash. On 23rd of October there is a material about Vilkul being ‘framed’, and synchronic speech of Pinchuk about Vilkul being very good. And on this very day there is a report about the meeting of UKROP under the CEC with a synchronic speech of Korban.

There were three election materials on “1+1”, and all of them were on 23rd of October (on the eve of “the day of silence”): a material about Liashko’s ‘tariff maydan’, without an information pretext; an unbalanced material about Partiya Vidrodzhennia appealing against insertion to the ballot of a twin of their candidate in Kryvyi Rih. And there was one more material with a declared election subject, but the material itself imitated balance of opinions by giving short synchronic speeches of the candidates to Kyiv Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko, Yuriy Yekhanurov and Serhii Husovskyi, but the total preference was given to Hennadii Korban, another candidate to Mayor, close to Ihor Kolomoyskiy, owner of the channel. Besides, the material contained a generalized ‘opinion of sociologists’: “Sociologists say that except trying to impress with their bright campaign, candidates will be remembered for their more thorough programs than in previous years”. To confirm this rough conclusion-generalization they gave a synchronic speech of a little-known sociologist Hromakov.

There were two materials with incorrect coverage (without indication of all necessary data of opinion poll) of sociological researches during the reporting week. On 19th of October Inter broadcasted the results of sociological research of Rating Group that has some questions in its history. “And the third among the leaders of the presidential race would be oppositionist Yuriy Boyko. His rating increased to 12.5 pct”. And this very material contained a completely false research on Odesa oblast by some public organization Right of Choice which does not even have its own website, only the page in social networks: “Opposition Bloc is leading there. A quarter of oblast residents are ready to vote for the oppositionists”.

On 20th of October “1+1” also broadcasted results of sociologist research by a little-known Communications Research Center Active Group falsely and selectively. The material artificially and tendentiously selects separate results of UKROP in several regions and gives a synchronic speech of Head of the Center, which is advantageous for Korban’s party: “The reform-oriented are all voters for UKROP, 2/3 of Solidarnist voters, all Batkivschyna voters, half of voters for Hromadska Syla. I mean, if we sum it up we will receive much more 50 percents”.

Though it is not the object of this monitoring, we also provide the list of guests of different channels in the reporting week.

On Inter: on 19th of October — Oleh Liashko, on 20th of October — Oleksandr Puzanov (candidate to Kyiv Mayor from Opposition Bloc), on 21st of October — Oppobloc member Vadim Rabinovich.

On ICTV: on 19th of October — Vitaliy Klitchko, on 21st of October — Oleksandr Puzanov.

On Ukraine: on 20th of October — Oppobloc member Yuriy Boyko, on 21^st of October — Oppobloc member Ihor Shurma, on 23rd of October — Oppobloc member Boris Kolesnikov.

Ukraine channel also broadcasted daily materials about actions of Humanitarian Headquarters of Rinat Akhmetov.

UA:First and 5th Channel did not broadcast any material with violations of election standards in the pre-election week.

Some part of materials with ordered features were the traditional unbalanced and evaluative reports from ‘parquet’ events of the top state officials, for example:

On 19^th of October there was a statement by Poroshenko about visa-free laws (Inter and STB);

On 20th of October there was a joint statement by Yatseniuk and Avakov about law order at the elections (“1+1”, Inter, ICTV, 5th Channel, Ukraine);

On 21st of October there were different statements by Poroshenko in Ivano-Frankivsk about American radars, unnecessary mobilization (all channels without exception); Yatseniuk statements about the creation of the position of ATO Minister and about Nasirov (all channels);

On 22nd of October there was a statement by Poroshenko about the renewal of corps of judges (“1+1”, 5th Channel, Ukraine); Poroshenko at the opening of Academy of Leadership (Inter, ICTV, Ukraine);

On 23rd of October: Poroshenko met with the heads of monitoring missions (all channels except UA:First). This day all channels except UA:First broadcasted unbalanced and non-critical reports about the participation of Yatseniuk and other government officials in the investment forum in Berlin. Quotes: “Germany promises support to Ukraine. Our country in its turn promises decisive reforms and fighting corruption… Time will show whether it <forum> will bring in investments, and Angela Merkel has already invested her political weight in support to Ukraine… Angela Merkel and Arseniy Yatseniuk demonstrated complete harmony and understanding today. Both heads of governments opened the investment forum and then held consultation in the Chancellor’s Office. Important agreements were signed in their presence… Angela Merkel complimented to Ukraine for reforms” (“1+1”). “A great Ukraine-Germany economic forum… Today is the Ukrainian day in Berlin. The German capital met an impressive delegation from Kyiv. It <forum> is held for the first time. But this is the case when the first pancake is not lumpy” (Inter). “The level of the meeting was highlighted by the presence of Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. Lady Merkel complimented to Kyiv for titanic efforts in the implementation of Minsk agreements… All forums are probably like each other. But that is only at first glance. Since this conference for Ukraine is a possibility to state to the whole Europe: Ukraine is worth investing” (ICTV).

Among other similar materials one can pay attention to the unbalanced and without proper background broadcasting on the Ministry of Defense’s report on Ilovaysk (on 19th of October on 5th Channel). The material does not mention arguments of numerous critics blaming Chief Commander, heads of Ministry of Defense and General Staff for Ilovaysk tragedy. On 20th of October “1+1”, STB and 5th Channel broadcasted unbalanced statements of the General Prosecution that it does not see a Russian trace in the shooting on Maidan and accusations of Nalyvaichenko. And channels do not give a comment by Nalyvaichenko himself (which was published the same day at UNIAN) that he is disappointed with the attempts of the General Prosecution to defend Russia and that he is ready to come for questioning. On 23rd of October “1+1”, Inter and 5th Channel also uncritically broadcasted statement by Ministry of Justice about approval by Venice Commission of judicial reform. Inter, 5th Channel and Ukraine also from time to time broadcast one-sided and critically not complete different information from the Security Service of Ukraine and General Prosecution on arrest of suspects in the organization of a terrorist attack, bribing, etc., and often call suspects criminals.

Table 2. Quantity of business materials with ordered features:

There were two such materials in the reporting week: on “1+1” — a big material about excellent work of air dispatchers of Boryspil Airport which is being bankrupted in favor of Kolomoyskiy’s Privat Group, on Ukraine — a material about conclusion of a contract between Akhmetov’s holding Metinvest and Azovmash Works.

Table 3. Quantity of materialswith violations by the main lines: positive, without balance of opinions, materials about the AUTHORITIES:

Channels violate a number of standards in the materials with violations of standards that may evidence about their ordered nature (censorship).

Table 4.1. Violation of the standard of BALANCE OF OPINIONS:

Table 4.2. Violation of the standard of information COMPLETENESS:

Table 4.3. Violation of the standard of SEPARATION OF FACTS AND OPINIONS:

Table 4.4. Violation of the standard of information RELIABILITY:

Table 4.5. Violation of the standard of information ACCURACY:

 2. Suppression by channels of socially important information in October 2015:

Table 5. Total quantity of suppressions of important topics, opinions or backgrounds:

Table 6. Quantity of suppressions by channels of information about different mass protests:

None of the channels informed about the following events:

Communities of Irpin, Bucha, Vorzel and Hostomel demand from the authorities to intervene in the situation with illegal building on the land (19th of October)

Table 7. Quantity of suppressions by channels of information connected with attack on freedom of speech:

Table 8. Quantity of suppressions by channels of information connected with military and other crimes of Russian occupants and their satellites in Ukraine:

None of the channels informed about the following events:

Fighters of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic made firing at the positions of ATO Forces near Shyrokyne (18th of October)

Separatists do not let over 800 truckloads of humanitarian aid from the UN to Donbas (22nd of October)

A regular half empty Russian humanitarian convoy passed through the Ukrainian border without checking by the Ukrainian border guards (22nd of October)

The court withdrew an attachment of assets of Firtash’s chemical plant (22nd of October)

The separatists near Avdiyivka renewed firing at Ukrainian positions from machine guns and grenade launchers (24th of October)

Separatists of ‘DPR’ forbade the Doctors without Borders to act on the timely occupied territory (24th of October).

Table 9: Statements and actions of international community on the events in Ukraine:

None of the channels informed about the following events:

The EU demands from Russia to explain the presence in Donbas of Russian systems blocking connection of OSCE drones (21st of October)

OSCE continues recording violations by separatists of terms of arms diversion (21st of October)

Other notable topics suppressed by all channels:

The petition on termination of power supply to the occupied Crimea scored over 25 thousand votes (18th of October)

The court obliged the prosecution to start investigating complaint on Oleksandr Vilkul for abuse of office (19th of October).

Bloc of Poroshenko leads an owner of shops working in ‘DPR’ to Kyiv Oblast Council (19th of October)

The petition on termination of office of deputies for non-fulfillment of election promises scored over 25 thousand signatures (19th of October)

Nalyvaichenko says that the Security Service of Ukraine passed documentary evidence of Surkov’s and FSS’s participation in the organization of shooting on Maidan to the General Prosecution in May this year. (19th of October)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly condemned the seizure of cultural, material and historical values of Ukraine in the Crimea (20th of October)

Opposition Bloc nominated a separatist as a candidate to the City Council of Kramatorsk, who fought in the Girkin’s grouping (20th of October)

Ministry of Power asks the Government to increase standards of gas consumption by population without gasometers almost by 50 pct (21st of October)

The court withdrew an attachment of assets of Firtash’s chemical plant (22nd of October)

The earnings of the Ukrainians have decreased by one third in US Dollars equivalent for the year (22nd of October)

Monitoring of compliance with professional standards in the work of information services of Ukrainian channels is conducted by Telekritika Public Organization supported by Internews Network. The purpose of this monitoring is to increase the level media literacy of the Ukrainian society, stimulate media to be responsible, comply with journalist standards and increase quality of media products.