Ukrainian version

1. Materials with signs of ‘sponsorship'

In general, during September, 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 summarizing newscasts of TV channels, business-sponsored materials have disappeared almost completely (save just a few cases); however, quantity of political sponsorship continues to grow. Indisputable ‘anti-leadership' position is held by Inter where the number of such material has increased comparing to summer months. The second place is occupied by Pershyi Kanal, where the number of politically sponsored materials has increased notably as well. The third place, as was a month ago, is shared by ICTV and 1+1. The number of sponsored (censored) metarials at Ukraina Channel is also worth attention. Steady, though not too intense, increase of quantity of sponsored materials in the three reported months has been noted at Novy Kanal. As usual, the smallest number of sponsored materials was detected at STB.

The following circumstance should be mentioned, however: in September, 1+1 and 5 Kanal broadcast sponsored materials simultaneously with the three channels that has been manifesting ‘concerted editorial policy' for several months running, covering key topics concerned with activities of the authorities and criminal prosecutions against the opposition in the same manner (that is, together with Pershyi Kanal, ICTV, and Inter).

Table 2. Quantity of sponsored (censored) materials in the two main directions:

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

The tendencies of positive coverage of the authorities have hardly changed; only Inter outdid (as well as in general ‘event') Pershyi Kanal. It is notable that the quantity of positive coverage of the authorities has increased considerably at Ukraina. In September, the situation changed to nearly complete omission of coverage of the opposition and the number of negative and unbalanced materials increased. Here, the vanguard is led by Inter and 1+1. Chiefly, those were materials covering criminal prosecutions of ex-officials by the new authorities; many of such materials were provided by the topic of parliamentary confrontation (the week between September 6th an 11th) when the opposition demanded moratorium for the raise of utility payments rates and the raise of retirement age for women; in the coverage of these topics, due to poor balance of opinions and information integrity or, sometimes, journalists' attitudes, most channels drew the picture of the opposition, which ‘do not know what they're striving for.' In a series of sponsored (censored) materials on different topics, various accusations by the authorities of their predecessors' actions were cited without any replies or relevant backgrounds provided.

The traditional ways of simulating the authorities' activity continues to be the coverage of sessions, meetings, and conferences mostly presented orally by the anchor or commented by a high-rank official.

Table 3. Quantity of materials simulating the authorities' activity

The number of materials with facts and opinions carefully selected for the purpose of ‘substantiation' of court resolutions or justification of the authorities' failures. Most topics like these are found, as it was before, at Pershyi Kanal, Inter, and ICTV. At 5 Kanal and Novy Kanal have almost abandoned that practice, and STB and Ukraina have not had topics of that kind at all.

Table 4. Quantity of detailed topics on substantiation of ‘correctness' of the authorities' decisions or justification of the authorities' failures.

Quantity of sponsored and unbalanced materials on the success of ‘structures of force' Security Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Attorney General of Ukraine, Customs Service, and Tax Administration remains at the same level as it was in August. Only considerable increase of materials of that kind at Ukraina is worth mentioning.

Table 5. Quantity of unbalanced materials on the success of ‘structures of force'

At the same time, channels mostly omit topics that concern unfair actions of ‘structures of force', deaths of apprehended persons at police stations and during detention.

While performing sponsored actions, channels violate the following standards, in particular:

Table 6. Violation of professional standards while realizing political sponsorship (censorship):

NOTE:columns marked ‘S" contain the data of September, ‘A', of August, ‘J', of July.

Table 6 (continued):

The main way to achieve the goals of sponsorship and censorship still are violations of the standard of balanced opinions (floor is rarely taken by the opposition and even more rarely, by experts) and completeness of information (omission of important details or critical backgrounds.) However, in September at the most ‘violating' channels, the quantity of other kinds of violations grew, especially of journalists' attitudes and conclusions. It is highly notable that the quantity of violations of information accuracy has increased as well. It often happens because of arbitrary interpretation of newsmakers' messages by journalists (those journalists' ‘free expositions' often change the meaning of the original message drastically.) More instances of journalists' providing utterly untrue facts in sponsored materials are getting more often. These cases are especially abundant at Inter.

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

The number of hushed-up topics has grown by the factor of 1.5 in average. Political activity of the public has increased in September, and most of the events were not covered by TV channels. The ‘leader' in this is Inter, as before. At STB, specific quantity of hushed-up topics has decreased. The circle of censored topics, evidently, continues to be clearly defined, which explains rather insignificant discrepancy between ‘leaders' and ‘outsiders' of this ‘anti-rating.'

Table 8. 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:

Less omissions of such topics are at Novy Kanal, STB and Ukraina, but their number has increased at 5 Kanal, which previously used to cover a great number of such topics, whereas other channels kept silent on them.

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

More topics are hushed up here (evidently, more events occur as well.) It is notable that the figures are almost equal. That means that topics of limitation of freedom of speech are being censored carefully. Partially, such information is presented by STB and 5 Kanal. But most of such news are hushed up by most channels.

Table 10. 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.):

The situation remains basically unchanged here. It is obvious that this circle of topics is being censored carefully too; thus, the quantity indexes of omissions on all channels are close to one another.

Besides, most or sometimes all channels normally hush up the information on the deterioration of national measures.

Table 11. Quantity of omissions of information concerning the authorities' attack on businesses:

Here, the figures are also nearly equal.

Table 12. Quantity of omissions of information concerning public statements and actions of the opposition (not including violation of balanced opinions principle in sponsored materials):

Here, most channels are unanimous as well. More freedom in the coverage of these topics is still enjoyed by STB and Ukraina. At other channels, coverage of opposition is carefully dosed. A representative example took place on September 20th, when Batkivschyna Party announced ‘information blockade' arranged by the authorities against them. It is notable that non of TV channels has confirmed that yet!

This monitoring was done within the framework of the NGO  Internews Network U-Media "The monitoring of keeping to the journalist standards  and promotion of media competence of the broad spectrum of Ukrainian citizens", established by NGO Telekrytyka with the Mass Information Institute. The project aimed at the promotion of the media competence of Ukrainian society, encouragement of mass-media responsibility and keeping to professional standards, improvement of mass media quality. The criteria of the news quality estimation are given here ( part  1, 2, 3).