Ukrainians are tired of United News telethon – The New York Times
According to Censor.NET, with reference to the UP, this is stated in the article "This is state propaganda: Ukrainians avoid television news because of the war's prolongation" in The New York Times.
"Since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the people of Ukraine have had access to a single source of television news - a 24-hour broadcast filled with footage of Ukrainian tanks shelling Russian positions, medics working near the front lines, and political leaders rallying support abroad.
The United News Telethon has become a key tool in Ukraine's information warfare, and government officials who regularly speak on it praise its role in countering Russian disinformation and boosting morale.
...But after almost two years of war, Ukrainians are tired of the telethon. What was once seen as a crucial tool for uniting the country is now increasingly derided as little more than a government mouth-piece.
Viewers complain that the program often paints a rosy picture of the war, hiding disturbing developments on the front lines and declining Western support for Ukraine - and ultimately failing to prepare citizens for a prolonged war," the article says.
The NYT emphasizes that the viewership and credibility of the telethon have plummeted. Experts with whom the publication spoke believe this is a sign of disappointment in the government over the situation at the front. Instead, many viewers are spending their time watching popular reality shows and entertainment programs, the publication claims.
According to Oleksandr Bohutskyi, CEO of StarLightMedia, a media group involved in the project, the telethon was officially launched by presidential decree and is 40% funded by the government. Several media experts and journalists spoken to by the publication said that former Minister of Culture and Information Oleksandr Tkachenko participated in meetings to coordinate news treatment.
"Another concern is that the telethon has turned into a PR stunt for Zelenskyy, who remains the most authoritative political figure in Ukraine and whose rating has declined in recent months," the article says.
Svitlana Ostapa, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Detector Media, noted that in March 2022, the audience of the telethon accounted for 40 percent of the total number of viewers in Ukraine.
However, by the end of 2022, the viewership had declined to 14 percent of the TV audience. Today, she says, it has declined to 10 percent.
Many viewers believe that as the threat of a Russian takeover diminishes, the program's patriotic overtones are becoming more and more exaggerated, the newspaper writes.
