Newspapers "Golos Ukrainy" and "Uriadovy Courier" and channel "Pershiy natsіonalny", which work on account of the taxpayers' money, illuminate the news about displaced persons from the ATO area. However, it does not provide useful information for internally displaced persons themselves. Such conclusions were made by experts of the public initiative "Restoring Donbas" based on monitoring of February Ukrainian print media and television materials.

1. IDPs of Donbas
in the mirror of the Ukrainian press and TV
Research of the community initiative "Restoring Donbas”
March, 2015

2. Information about research
Frequency of use of marked words
Topic of IDPs on Ukrainian TV
Key topics from the life of IDPs, most frequently covered by TV channels
Rating of newspapers, writing about IDPs
Key topics from the life of IDPs, most frequently covered by newspapers
Lack of useful information for IDPs in newspapers
Topic of IDPs in magazines
What information is needed by IDPs: results of online voting
What information is needed by IDPs: Donbas experts
Main conclusions of the research
Contents

3. Information about research 3
The research has analyzed more than 25 thousand materials of Ukrainian newspapers, magazines and TV
channels news reports that have come out within the period from February, 1 to February, 28 2015. Media
materials were studied for the presence and context of references to marked words “IDPs" and "refugees“.
The following printed media and TV channels were used in the course of the study:
Newspapers: «Argumenty i Fakty (Ukraine)», «Business», «Vesti», «Vechernie Vesti», «Gazeta po-ukrajinki»,
«Golos Uktainy», «Delovaya stolica», «Den’», «Zerkalo nedeli. Ukraine», «Commentarii», «Komsomolskaya Pravda
in Ukraine», «Segodnya», «Selskie vesti», «Trud in Ukraine», «Ukrajina moloda», «Uriadovy Courier», «Fakti i
kommentarii».
Magazines: «Forbes. Ukraine», «Dengi», «Correspondent», «Krajina», «Novoe vremya», «Pyblichnie ludi», «Vesti
Reporter», «Ukrainian Tyzhden», «Focus».
TV channels: «112 Ukraine», «24 channel», «1+1», «5 channel», «Business», «ICTV», «Inter», «Novij kanal»,
«STB», «ТVi», «Tonis», «Ukraine», «Pershiy natsіonalny», «Perviy delovoy», «UBR».

4. According to the monitoring, during the month
monitored media issued 807 materials with the
word “IDPs" and 409 materials with the word
"refugees". This is 4,8% of the total number of
analyzed materials.
Most attention was paid to the problems of IDPs on
the air of Ukrainian TV channels (671 references to
marked words). Newspapers are on the second place
(476 references), magazines on the third (79
references ).
476
311
30
195
165
49
TV Newspapers Magazines
807
409
IDPs Refugees
Frequency of use of marked words 4
Breakdown of marked words
Breakdown of marked words
according to the type of media

5. Among Ukrainian TV channels are three leaders in
terms of covering the topic of IDPs: "24 channel",
“Ukraine" and "ICTV“. “Inter" and "1+1“ are slightly
behind them.
Among TV channels of the news format, only “24
channel” is among the top 5 in terms of coverage of
topics relating IDPs.
Among Ukrainian TV channels, the “story” format is
popular in terms of presenting materials about IDPs.
In addition, a number of TV channels have discussed
the topic of IDPs with studio guests. First of all, we
are talking about TV channels “Ukraine", “Inter" and
“Pershiy natsionalny“.
The majority of TV channels’ pieces do not carry any
useful help information for IDPs. On this count they
are similar to Ukrainian newspapers (see
p. 9).
Topic of IDPs on Ukrainian TV 5

6. Key topics from the life of IDPs, most frequently covered by TV
channels
6

7. Rating of newspapers, writing about IDPs
Among daily newspapers, Top 5 leaders, covering
topics of IDPs in February 2015, are: "Golos Ukrainy",
“Fakti i kommentarii“, "Den’“, "Komsomolskaya Pravda
in Ukraine" and “Uriadovy Courier“.
Topics related to IDPs have also been covered by
newspapers “Segodnya", “Vesti", “Ukrajina moloda"
and “Gazeta po-ukrajinki“.
Reports from ATO area and from Donbas territories,
controlled by Ukraine have become the most common
format of presenting materials about IDPs in February.
First of all, the following newspapers were presenting
information about IPDs in this format: "Den’",
"Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine" and “Segodnya“.
7

8. Key topics from the life of IDPs, most frequently covered by
newspapers
8

9. Lack of useful information for IDPs in newspapers
Both in daily and in weekly newspapers one can
feel an obvious deficit of useful information for
the IDPs themselves.
Information about distribution of humanitarian
assistance, opening of mobile camps for IDPs, etc.
is placed in the newspapers without contact
information, thanks to which people could use the
offered assistance.
As an example of materials that carry useful help
information for IDPs one can name an article in
“Gazeta po-ukrajinki" of 17 February about a free
hostel in Odessa with indication of its address.
The minimum amount of useful help information for
IDPs was placed in the newspapers " Golos Ukrainy"
and “Uriadovy Courier", which are being printed for
taxpayers' money.
Thus, "Golos Ukrainy" writes about the difficulties
the official registration and employment of IDPs,
preparation of housing in modular towns, work of
the Red Cross in Donbas. But at the same time,
none of the materials on these topics contains
contact information or clarification about further
actions for IDPs.
9

10. Among Ukrainian magazines that wrote about IDPs in
February, are, first of all, weekly magazines "Krajina",
"Novoe Vremya" and "Focus".
"Vesti Reporter", "Ukrainian Tyzhden" and
"Correspondent” have also paid attention to topics
related to IDPs.
In February, Ukrainian magazines indirectly touched
upon topics of IDPs in the context of conflict in the East
of Ukraine ("Ukrainian Tyzhden", "Focus"), wrote about
social adaptation of IDPs and social policy of the state
in their regard ("Krajina", "Correspondent", "Novoe
Vremya"), humanitarian assistance and work of
volunteers ("Novoe Vremya").
Magazine "Vesti Reporter“, more often than others,
prepared stories about leaving the ATO area and living
conditions of IDPs.
Topic of IDPs in magazines 10

11. What information is needed by IDPs: results of
online voting
Within the framework of the study of information needs of IDPs "Restoring Donbas" conducted a survey
among its subscribers in Facebook. Between March 2-4, 2015, 208 respondents have participated in it.
The survey is not a representative study, but it provides an opportunity to understand the big picture of
IDPs’ queries for information in the media.
6%
11%
12%
14%
23%
34%
Psychological assistance (incl. children)
Contact info of volunteers and foundations
Legal counseling
Humanitarian assitance destribution points
Assistance in finding housing
Assistance in finding jobs
SURVEY FOR IDPS FROM DONBAS
What useful information would you like to get from printed media and TV?
11

12. According to experts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, surveyed by "Restoring Donbas" in December
2014 - January 2015, today IDPs from ATO area are in need of provision of a number of information
services :
-- Legal counseling (92,4% of respondents).
-- Information assistance (85,6% of respondents).
-- Psychological counseling (84,6% of respondents).
-- Remote consultations with medical professionals(54,5% of respondents).
-- Remote tutoring service (school, interest groups) (40,7% of respondents).
- needed - hard to tell - no
What information is needed by IDPs: Donbas
experts
12
40,7%
54,5%
84,6%
85,6%
92,4%
Remote tutoring services
(school, interest clubs)
Remote consultations with
medical professionals
Psychological counselling
Information assistance
Legal consultations

13. Main conclusions of the research
• In February 2015, Ukrainian press and TV gave special priority to the issue of IDPs’ leaving from the
area of combat operations. This is connected with the commencement of access regime in the ATO
area and active hostilities in the area of Debaltsevo. Related topics were also popular - providing of
humanitarian assistance to IDPs, accommodating refugees on peaceful territories.
• Most frequently marked words “IDPs" and "refugees" are used by the press and TV in the context of
information about the new statistics (leaving from the ATO area, unemployment, etc.).
• Stories about the life of IDPs from Donbas in other regions most often are focused on two issues -
finding housing and employment.
• Ukrainian press and TV, in the first place those publishing houses, that are financed by the state, pay
little attention to the help information that could be useful for IDPs. We are talking about contact
information for obtaining humanitarian and other assistance, as well as the course of actions in each
specific situation - when receiving an official IDP status, receiving humanitarian assistance, finding
housing and employment.
• Materials of the state media hardly covered the possibility of obtaining state assistance by IDPs (for
example, formalities to receive targeted assistance). Also, there are no explanations regarding the
possibility of obtaining assistance in the framework of international programs. Thus, in February, there
were no materials in the state media related to issuance of UN grants to Ukraine for IDPs with the
purposes of business development and reconstruction of housing. Neither conditions, nor the cases of
obtaining of such grants by IDPs from Donbas were reported.
• According to the survey in social networks, IDPs from the ATO area, first of all, are in need of
informational support to find housing and employment, of information about obtaining humanitarian
assistance.
13

14. © Community initiative "Restoring Donbas". 2015