More than half of Ukrainians believe that the TV marathon is no longer relevant – survey

More than 50% of surveyed Ukrainian citizens believe that the telethon format is no longer relevant.

These are the results of a sociological survey conducted by the “Deminitsiatives” Foundation in collaboration with the Razumkov Center, as reported by the “Chesno” analytical movement.

According to the survey results:

• 35% of respondents completely agreed that the telethon is no longer relevant.
• 15.6% mostly agreed with this statement.
• 18.1% believe that the telethon is still relevant (7.7% fully support it, while 10.4% are somewhat in favor).

It is worth noting that Ukraine’s new Minister of Culture, Mykola Tochytskyi, stated that the telethon “was, is, and will continue to be.” He added, “We need to find a format that engages the public. There are a large number of people who watch it, and it’s also important to convey in one voice what’s happening around us.”

Previously, there were rumors that Ukraine might shut down the unified telethon if it does not regain audience trust. Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, head of the Freedom of Speech Committee in the Verkhovna Rada, stated,

“If by the end of 2024 it is not demonstrated that the telethon has changed its format, providing balance and avoiding overly triumphant frontline news, and if public trust is not restored, we will need to consider ending it. We are currently seeing a decline in the use of the unified telethon and a rise in the use of social networks. It will be even harder to explain to our international partners and our own people why we are funding an ineffective information policy.”