EXTERNAL MEDIA IMAGE OF UKRAINE (BASED ON “THE GUARDIAN” MATERIALS)

Abstract


 
 
 
 The purpose of the article is to identify the main tendencies of the coverage of Ukrainian themes by the British media resource The Guardian during 2013– 2019. The selection of the research object is based on the media type (“quality newspaper”, which does not depend on the influence of large capital, political parties and any other institutions), its reputation and the developed multi-platform model of content distribution among the international audience.Having used the methods of monitoring, comparative and quantitative content analysis of the array of texts, published on the online resource theguardian.com for the period of time from 2013 till 2018, the specificity of the presentation of Ukraine by one of the most influential international media is analyzed and as a result, we can state that it tends to be of a sporadic nature. The study is based on the manual search of publications, which included over 4,000 materials of various genres on Ukraine-related topics. As the selection criteria, we used the thematic direction of the texts, the chronological framework (2013-2018), and the context of events.The survey results have showed that there are certain gaps in the implementation of Ukraine's information policy, the level of interest in Ukrainian topics depends on the degree of events’ resonance, and the main focus of the British media is on the reforms implementation, the introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU, the provision of financial assistance to Ukraine and adaptation of Ukrainian legislation in line with the European law norms. The study has found that there is a rather negative trend: the British press mentions Ukraine mainly in the context of the actualization of Russian issues, which does not contribute to the formation of a country’s positive image among international community. Only a competent systematic information policy, which ensures the nuances of a comprehensive coverage of Ukrainian eurointegration aspects, can improve the situation, described in the article. Given the active phase of the European integration processes in Ukraine, namely the introduction of a relevant action plan and the reforming process in the key public spheres in line with EU requirements, it is extremely important to inform the global community about the progress, being made towards the European future of Ukraine. The following can be achieved through the formulation and dissemination of clear “messages” about Ukraine among the international media that will protect the country’s interests, improve its image and ensure a permanent presence in the global information space.