IMI media expert: TV channels are the most likely media to shut down in Ukraine
The most frequently closed media outlets in Ukraine are TV channels, said Iryna Zemlyana, a media expert at the Institute of Mass Information, commenting on the IMI's study on media outlets that have closed down after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion for Hromadske Radio.
Which media outlets closed down
Overall, the expert says, 329 Ukrainian media outlets had to close down since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, including 105 TV channels. Iryna Zemlyana adds that television is the costliest and most complicated to produce.
Print media ranked second, with 95 print publications closing. Small district media have suffered greatly. Radio came third, with 77 stations closing, followed by online news outlets, 52 of which are no longer operating.
Media outlets that closed down due to Russia's invasion
Reasons for closure
The expert explains that media outlets closing is contingent on the battlefield situation. Occupation is the number one reason. In the temporarily occupied territories, any media activity is out of the question, so 117 media outlets closed down due to occupation.
Next, Iryna Zemlyana lists Russian shelling and martial law. She says danger makes it impossible to do one's job. The offices of many media outlets have been destroyed by the Russian troops. The territory is simply becoming unfit for staying there and working. Next are the financial reasons. Advertisers have stopped buying advertisements in the media due to underfunding or because their businesses have been destroyed.
Six media outlets closed due to their chief editors being conscripted. This came as a surprise to the researchers, Zemlyana noted.
Who resumed operations
At the same time, there are some media outlets that have managed to resume their work. Specifically, there are 52. Most of those are based in Kherson, Luhansk, and Mykolaiv oblasts. These are the oblasts parts of which have been liberated.
The expert says that as soon as the territories were de-occupied, people and businesses returned there, life began to flourish again, and local media outlets resumed their work. “They felt safe, saw the point of working and saw their audience,” said Iryna.
In Zaporizhzhia, only 3 out of the 50 closed media outlets resumed their work, and in Kherson, it was 14 out of 34.
The IMI study showed that Russia's war caused the closure of media outlets in all oblasts except for two: Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk. The expert suggests that the reason could be that the financial situation in these regions is more stable. Most IDPs moved there.
Iryna Zemlyana says that the IMI keeps record of the issues faced by the media through their regional representatives. According to the expert, 329 is not the final figure. Media outlets will continue to close down.
Nowadays, most media outlets survive thanks to donors and international grants, the expert says. According to her, this is good as a temporary solution, but not as a permanent working model. Ending the war with our victory is extremely important for the preservation of the media.
The media expert says that the amount of covert political advertisement in all media has grown, which suggests that elections may be coming.
Recently, the IMI studied journalists' financial situation. Almost half of journalists had to take up other jobs in order to make a living. A significant part of them abandoned journalism and found higher-paying jobs.
The full IMI study on the media that closed down is available here.
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