Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

Most of Russians follow the developments in Ukraine; they mainly watch Russian news and TV cannels and believe that the information provided by this media is objective.

MOSCOW, May 14, 2014. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the information concerning how Russians follow the developments in Ukraine; from what sources they get information; how objective they think Russian mass media is.

Three-quarter of Russians are interested in the situation in Ukraine (77%). Thirty percent of Russians track the situation (in March 2014:  39%); 47% track the situation occasionally. The share of those who do not pay attention to the developments in Ukraine has increased (22% in April vs 15% in March 2014). Those who are interested to know more are elderly respondents (46%), and rarer 18-24-year-old Russians (35%).

Those who follow the situation in Ukraine get information mainly from the Russian television (94%). One – third of respondents (31%) surf the Internet: basically Russians aged 18-24 (52%) and residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg  (47%). Every fifth (18%) reads printed media – Russian newspapers and magazines. Other 13% listen to radio. Certain number of Russians listen to friends and relatives who live (6%) or who do not live (8%) in Ukraine. Least popular source of information is foreign mass media (2%) and Ukrainian media (1%).

Russians appreciate the objectivity of Russian mass media. It is proved by the index of objectivity equaled to 69 points. Those who regard the information on Ukraine provided by Russian media objective are mainly Russian TV spectators; the value of index is 70 points (out of 90). Those who think that information is not very objective are those who read newspapers (67 points), use the Internet (66 points), or listen to radio (65 points). Those who get information from the Ukrainian mass media are most prejudiced against Russian mass media (57 points).

Mass Media Objectivity Index shows if Russians finds the information provided my Russian mass media objective. The higher the value of index is, the more respondents are confident that the information provided by Russian mass media is objective. The index is based on the question: “How do you assess the nature of information about the situation in Ukraine  provided by Russian mass media?”. If the answer is “generally weighted, objective”, the coefficient is 0.9; if the answer is “partly objective, partly nonobjective”, the coefficient is 0,5, if the answer is  “generally negative, biased”, the coefficient is 0.1. The index is measured in points and can fluctuate between 10 and 90.

The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on April 26-27, 2014. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 communities in 42 regions of Russia. Data are weighted by gender, age, education, working status and type of settlement.  The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Do you personally track the developments in Ukraine?  (closed-ended question, one answer)

 

07.06*

08.06

04.07**

1-2.02.14

22-23.02.14

1-2.03.14

8-9.03.14

15-16.03.14

26-27.04.14

Yes, very attentively

15

14

14

26

27

35

39

39

30

Yes, from time to time

52

43

50

46

47

46

45

46

47

No

31

41

35

27

26

20

16

15

22

Don`t know

2

2

1

less1

less1

less1

less1

less1

1

* In 2006 there was a conflict between Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Ukrainian president; Rada gave vote of no confidence in the government

** In 2007 the president V. Yushchenko dismissed Verkhovna Rada and called new elections

 

From what sources do you get information about the situation in Ukraine?  

(closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who follow the situation in Ukraine)

 

Total respondents

Moscow and St.Petersburg

Million cities

More than 500 ths

100–500 ths

Less than 100 ths

Rural area

Russian television

94

96

91

97

93

91

95

Internet

31

47

20

35

34

34

23

Russian printed media

18

32

13

19

11

25

14

Russian radio

13

24

13

18

5

16

10

Friends, relatives NOT currently living in Ukraine

8

16

2

3

5

5

11

Friends, relatives currently living in Ukraine

6

9

2

3

3

6

9

Foreign mass media (except for Ukrainian one)

2

7

1

1

less1

1

1

Ukrainian mass media

1

7

less1

1

1

1

1

Other

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Don`t know

less1

-

1

-

-

1

-

How would you assess the nature of information about Ukraine provided by Russian mass media?

(closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who follow the situation in Ukraine)

 

 

Sources of information about Ukraine  

 

Total respondents

Russian television

Internet

Russian printed media

Russian radio

Friends, relatives NOT currently living in Ukraine

Friends, relatives currently living in Ukraine

Foreign mass media (except for Ukrainian one)

Ukrainian mass media

Generally weighted, objective information

51

52

42

46

44

36

47

48

28

Partly objective, partly nonobjective information

40

40

50

48

45

50

38

24

50

Generally negative, biased  information

3

2

2

2

2

1

7

14

11

Don`t know

6

6

5

3

5

12

8

14

11

Objectivity Index

69

70

66

67

65

64

66

64

57

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!

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