Intent.Insight: how a telethon affects trust in the government during the war

In times of war, public opinion becomes particularly vulnerable to the influence of media and government communications. Experts will explain how state messages and information strategies affect the perception of events.

Today, at 17:00, Intent.Insight will discuss how information policy during the war affects public opinion and trust in the government. The guests of the studio will be political scientist Oleksandra Reshmedilova and sociologist Hanna Yatvetska.

During the conversation, the experts will analyze how telethons and centralized media management shape public sentiment, why government communication campaigns are often perceived as propaganda, and whether this affects the level of critical thinking of Ukrainians. The program will also focus on the reliability of opinion polls in wartime, as respondents may not express their real opinions due to fear of judgment or reprisals.

The following issues will be discussed during the program:

• How do information campaigns, telethons and media control affect the level of trust in the government?
• Can opinion polls be considered reliable in times of war if respondents may be afraid to express criticism?
• Where is the line between ethical data collection and manipulation of public opinion in wartime?

Watch the broadcast on Intent's YouTube channel and Facebook page.

In September, the studio hosted an interview with Svitlana Ostapa, Head of the Supervisory Board of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, dedicated to the 11th anniversary of the public broadcasting reform. The conversation focused on how UA:PBC was created, what difficulties it had to overcome on the way to independent broadcasting, and what role NGOs and international partners played in this process. They also discussed how the reformed media outlet builds its editorial policy, maintains the trust of the audience, and responds to the challenges posed by the war and information security.

Last year, the international organization Reporters Without Borders called on the Ukrainian government to abandon the joint telethon "United News", believing that it limits the diversity of opinions in the media space. Human rights activists noted that over the past two years, Ukrainian TV channels have strengthened their newsrooms, raised their professional level, and are now able to counter Russian propaganda on their own, while maintaining their independence and their own approach to reporting the news.

Анна Літман