Ukraine: Media Ownership and Potential Foreign Influence Channels
Date Published
Mar 23, 2023
Authors
Emily Dumont, Jonathan Solis, and Lincoln Zaleski
Publisher
Citation
Dumont, E., Solis, J., and Zaleski, L.,(2023). Ukraine: Profile of Media Ownership and Potential Foreign Influence Channels. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary.
Abstract
What are the entry points for foreign actors to shape and influence the narrative in the Ukrainian media market? This profile seeks to address some of the entry points related to media ownership and Russian state-owned media. AidData recognizes that malign influence may affect narrative creation in other ways, including the republishing of foreign content in domestic media outlets, interactions on social media, and through journalist biases. However, this project focuses solely on direct and indirect ownership of traditional domestic media outlets to identify potential entry points for Russian influence through elites and media owners. By better understanding Ukraine’s domestic media ownership environment, including what media outlets citizens consume and who the owners of those outlets are, we can anticipate entry points where malign actors may try to influence domestic narratives.