February 19, 2013

New research reveals that Ukrainians are turning to the internet for news and information. The internet is among the top three sources for news, along with television and print, for Ukrainians today, according to a national survey commissioned by Internews and conducted in October 2012 by marketing and research firm InMind for the USAID-funded Ukraine Media Project (U-Media). Television is still the most popular source of news for 87% of people in Ukraine, but the internet surpasses print media and radio in terms of popularity among news consumers: 42% of those surveyed search for news on the internet, while 40% get their news from print media, and only 30% listen to news on the radio in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian research company InMind carried out the survey for the U-Media Project, which is implemented by the international non-governmental organization Internews with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). InMind surveyed 4,047 citizens in 10 regions of Ukraine in September and October of 2012. The sample consisted of respondents in cities with populations of 50 thousand or more.

The research found that 61% of respondents had used the internet at least once in the previous month. The highest rates of internet use were found in the oblasts of Kyiv (64%), Kharkiv (60%) and Crimea (57%). The lowest usage rate was in Mykolaiv oblast at 40% of respondents. This survey, when compared with surveys in early 2012, shows that internet use is on the rise; internet use in Ukraine was measured at 38% in January 2012 and 42% in March 2012.

Respondents said news from regional online sources is more objective than national online media; however, regional online news sources are less immediate and offer slightly inferior search options. A total of 42% of respondents had visited online news portals or the websites of traditional media; 29% used local or regional websites to find news.

Researchers found that respondents were more satisfied with local online news  than with local TV news and local print media (see table below): 73% of respondents were satisfied with local websites’ objectivity/balance, 74% with the completeness of local sites’ news and 83% with the importance of  stories selected for inclusion in local sites’ news coverage.

In comparison to a 2009 survey, media consumers expressed less satisfaction with the quality of local print and television media. In particular, the 2012 survey found decreased satisfaction with the afore-mentioned standards of objectivity/balance, completeness and importance of stories selected for inclusion in news coverage. Nevertheless, the majority of Ukrainians said they are still mostly satisfied or completely satisfied with the quality of local media.

 Percentage of respondents who are satisfied with the quality of local media

	Objectivity / Balance		Completeness		Importance
	2009	2012	2009	2012	2009	2012
Mostly satisfied or completely satisfied with local Internet media	-	73%	-	74%	-	83%
Mostly satisfied or completely satisfied with local print media	69%	62%	75%	60%	76%	67%
Mostly satisfied or completely satisfied with local TV	68%	60%	77%	68%	76%	63%

 

Other findings:

• Television remains the major source of news in Ukraine – 87% of respondents watch TV news at least once a month. People living in oblast centers watch TV more than people in smaller cities, but people in smaller cities read newspapers and magazines more than people in oblast centers.
• Some regions still display a high consumption of print media over the past month – Vinnytsia at 60%, and Donetsk and Cherkasy at 50%.
• 67% of respondents use several or all types of media. Nearly one third of respondents (31%) use only one source to obtain information. The average Ukrainian media consumer watches 3 TV channels, reads 2 print media, visits 2 Internet sites and listens to 2 radio stations for news on a weekly basis.

FULL REPORT 2012 MIGHT BE FOUND AT http://www.slideshare.net/umedia/inmindinternewsmediaaudiencesurvey2012part1eng

This research is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The research findings are the sole responsibility of Internews and InMind and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID and the United States government.

Methodology:

Face to face survey

Geography: 10 regions of Ukraine, cities with population over 50 thousand

Fieldwork timeframes: 18.09 – 19.10. 2012

Research target audience: 18-65 years old, consumers of media, citizens of regions

Total sample - 4047 (random sampling error less than 1.6%)

Sample (by regions):

 

Crimea	400
Kyiv region	417
Vinnytsya region	403
Donetsk region	407
Lviv region	404
Mykolayiv region	407
Zakarpattya region	404
Sumy region	403
Kharkiv region	402
Cherkasy region	400

 

More reports on U-Media supported media research are available in the English and Ukrainian survey reports on the U-Media website at http://bit.ly/VtmwzU. Use of the research data is permitted only with reference to the “USAID Internews U-Media project” and “InMind”. U-Media media research over 2009-2011 are available at U-Media web-site http://umedia.kiev.ua/english/media-research/179-reports-on-u-media-research.html.