Since the beginning of the war, Ukrainian news channels have been broadcasting a joint program. This is increasingly coming under criticism. Some users switch to Telegram. But there is also a positive development.
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for almost two years, has also fundamentally changed the Ukrainian media landscape – for better and for worse. The always colorful Ukrainian television world has looked completely different since February 24, 2022. While before the major Russian invasion it was characterized by several national channels dominated by oligarchs with a wide variety of political interests, there is now a deceptive unity on TV.
The “United News” news marathon, which is mandatory for more than 20 Ukrainian news channels, is still being broadcast. Although this is not mandatory for national broadcasters, a number of channels broadcast it anyway – not least for economic reasons, as in times of collapse in advertising revenue, state funding is often vital. The overall financial situation for some media companies is so critical that even Rinat Akhmetov, a major businessman and the country’s richest man, has dissolved his empire – and this included the country’s most popular television station.
But although hosting the telemarathon became mandatory for news channels over time, this idea did not originally come from the state. It was created on February 24, 2022, when the television stations were busy evacuating their employees to western Ukraine and no one was able to broadcast continuously. The owners of the media companies therefore agreed and put together a joint program. That went well: In chaotic times, the marathon was able to provide orientation by quickly connecting regional administrative heads or military officers who shared their assessments and information within the limits of what was permitted under martial law.
“Uncertain whether the marathon will survive 2024”
But after the Russian army had to evacuate the suburbs of Kiev and the situation at the front stabilized, critical voices became increasingly louder as to whether such a round-the-clock program was still appropriate. In addition, the channels started again in October 2022 with an entertainment program that overshadowed the marathon of the news channels. Furthermore, different slots are produced by the different participating broadcasters. In addition to news, broadcasts and studio guests, documentaries are also broadcast – and one of the criticisms is always that the marathon gives an overly optimistic view of the situation and hides some problems.
The new chairman of the freedom of expression committee in the Ukrainian parliament, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn from the opposition “Voice” faction, is skeptical about the marathon in its current form. However, he does not agree with the accusation that the reporting there is embellished. “For example, if the spokesman for the Air Force reports about intercepted drones and missiles, that is a positive thing. This is not an embellishment of reality, but reality,” Yurchyshyn emphasized to the Ukrainian media. “And when we don’t talk about our losses or the positions of our troops and ask for silence, we are protecting our society and the military. It is intended to make it more difficult for the enemy to get information about us, not the other way around.”
The MP considers the original idea of the marathon to be correct. “But if we don’t find ways to improve it now, it will die out. I would then be unsure whether it will survive in 2024.” In fact, confidence in the unified information program has fallen over the last year. According to the Kiev International Sociology Institute, while 69 percent of Ukrainians trusted the marathon in May 2022, this number was 43 percent in December 2023. 38 percent don’t trust the program, and an additional 19 percent can’t decide. And although the balance of trust remains just about positive, given these numbers it is not surprising that the Ministry of Culture is also talking about a possible change to the format.
Trust in the media is generally declining
However, it is unlikely that a joint offer will be completely abandoned. The marathon was important, not least in the winter of 2022/23, when people in Kiev were able to get information on screens in the subway stations without electricity and without mobile communications during the Russian attacks. But it will probably no longer be 24 hours of news overkill per day. However, it’s not just the general fatigue with the news marathon. According to figures from the Kiev Institute, trust in the media generally fell from 57 to 29 percent between December 2022 and December 2023.
This tendency has several reasons. Trust in institutions has declined overall after reaching a record high in the first months of the war – the only exceptions being the Ukrainian army and volunteers, who continue to enjoy a very high level of trust. The uniformity in television has also reinforced a trend that was already apparent before the war: the increasing popularity of the messenger Telegram and the declining importance of TV channels. According to the latest survey by the renowned Rating Group, 47 percent of people in Ukraine get their information via Telegram, 29 percent via classic Internet portals and only 25 percent via the television marathon.
All major Ukrainian media are represented and active on Telegram. However, they don’t always play first fiddle there. This role is often taken on by anonymous channels that spread news quickly and without necessarily being verified – a tendency that worries Ukrainian media researchers for good reason and which in turn contributes to declining trust in the media. But there is also a positive development. Despite the difficult financial situation, the current situation is giving the serious independent media a big boost, which shone in 2023 with a series of prominent anti-corruption investigations and which have also successfully developed their own video formats, for example on YouTube. They are also taking spectators away from the marathon – and this trend will continue.