Interfax: TV main source of info for most Russians on Ukraine events; over half believe it is unbiased – poll

File Photo of Russian Television Studio

(Interfax – August 29, 2014) An overwhelming majority of Russians – 94 percent – are following the events in Ukraine, and television remains the primary source of information for 93 percent of them, the Levada Center sociological service told Interfax with reference to a nationwide public opinion poll it conducted on August 22-25.

About a quarter of respondents – 25 percent – also receive news about Ukraine from friends and relatives, 17 percent from Internet publications, 12 percent from social media, and 11 percent from radio, the poll showed.

More than half of respondents – 54 percent – do not agree that Russian federal media outlets are pursuing an information war against Ukraine and believe that they in fact present an unbiased picture of the events in the country.

At the same time, 17 percent agreed that Russian media are engaged in an information war against Ukraine but called such a policy “right and justified by the situation in Ukraine.” In the view of 12 percent of those polled, there are some signs of such an information war, and 18 percent were undecided.

The respondents were also invited to voice their agreement or disagreement with a number of points; in particular, 31 percent of those polled said Russia is “not interfering in the events in Ukraine and is right in not doing so,” 25 percent are of the view that “it should intervene but has been prevented from doing so,” 32 percent think Russia is involved in the events in Ukraine, and 12 percent were undecided.

Also, 55 percent of respondents believe Russia should be actively supporting the pro-Russian forces in south-eastern Ukraine, 23 percent disagree with this, and 22 percent were undecided.

 

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