Abstract
Since 2014, the Ukrainian government has implemented wide-ranging measures to reduce the impact of hostile narratives and disinformation spread by Russia. These measures (including bans on certain TV channels and websites) have been quite successful at reducing overall use of Russian news sources within Ukraine. Nevertheless, significant concerns remain about foreign influence exerted via the news media, particularly in Ukraine's border regions, where linguistic and cultural ties to the neighbouring state(s) remain strong. This paper presents findings from a comparative study of news use in three diverse peripheral locations in Ukraine – Odesa, Sumy and Zakarpattia regions – as well as the political centre, Kyiv. The paper uses original, regionally representative survey data to explain variation in the level of attention that Ukrainian citizens pay to local, national and cross-border news media, considering both supply-side factors (such as ease of access) and demand-side factors (including language preferences and political interest). The paper then studies how different news diets and levels of engagement with foreign sources affect support for democracy and norms of good citizenship, as well as belief in disinformation. The paper aims to prompt deeper reflection about the relationship between media use and national security, in a world where citizens increasingly inhabit 'borderless' digital media environments.
Panel: Foreign Information Influence as an (Inter)National Security Threat