Abstract:
Ukrainian conflict could be viewed as the complex economic, political and social crisis within the state. I am studying the presentation of Ukrainian national identity in media during the conflict period, from November 23, 2013 till nowadays. The purpose of the study is to examine the description by the Ukrainian media of the conflict and development of the national identity connotations of the conflict. This project aims to answer the following question: ‘how do the Ukrainian media portray the current state crisis in relation to Ukrainian identity?’ The primary data for the analysis are articles and published speeches, discussions in mass media. Qualitative and quantitative data have been used for the analysis.
The research project comprises of one case study with the sample of two media sources. The two samples have been used from two Ukrainian media sources: Ukraine Crisis Media Center and Pershyi Natsionalnyi TV channel (First National). Ukraine Crisis
Media Center refers to the newly emerged crisis center and operates as an independent press agency; a major media source during the conflict. Pershyi Natsionalnyi TV channel (First National) is the Ukrainian state-run television channel, which is covering over 97% of Ukrainian territory. Sociological polls conducted by the Razumkov Center in Kyiv and Kiev International Institute of Sociology have been used as secondary data.
Thus, Ukrainian identity has been described by the media based on the principle of “otherness” of the Ukrainian nation in relation to the Russian. Media present Ukrainian conflict in the framework of the cultural dimensions of the Ukrainian ethnicity. Media as an information sharing source should actively use public broadcasting and analytical discussions for the processes of formation of the common national identity among Ukrainians.
