Traditional vs. new media: Which one wins the loyalty of Ukrainian Internet users?

By Elena Pavlichenko
iVOX Research Facilitators

More Ukrainians say they trust so-called "new" media over traditional media but 70 per cent say they would not pay for access to online content.

These are just two of the findings in a major study by iVOX* Ukraine on the attitudes of Ukrainian internet users toward traditional and new media.

The main aims of the research were  to analyze the peculiarities of audience transition from printed to Internet media, to measure the level of trust towards those kinds of media and to evaluate the will of Ukrainian Internet users to pay for data in Internet media.

Also, the survey covered which media is more popular among Internet audiences and what Internet users think of the stricter governmental control over the new media, as well as other topics.  A  third part of this major study by iVOX Ukraine was dedicated to analyzing Internet trends in Ukraine, and in doing so, it assembled the opinions of 1023** respondents.

New media fundamentally change the way people do business and interact with each other; on the other hand, traditional media continue to have great impact upon people's lives, according to the survey.  The trends that can be seen behind the changes in Internet users' attitudes towards traditional and new media allow us to take advantage of those changes.The question of trust toward the media is quite an important one. As the results of the research show, the level of trust toward the new media is higher compared to traditional media.  Among Internet users, 31.8% consider new media to be more objective than traditional media. At the same time around 23. 5% of respondents consider both media to be objective.

Today the world seems, in a sense, to becoming 'flatter', as communication becomes easier and cheaper. Perhaps more importantly, it becomes more and more interactive. Media look more like a two-way two-way street where information flows back and forward at enormous speed.

The fact that new media is considered by many to be more objective than the traditional one, and that 21% of respondents greatly value  information delivery speed, is the point at which new media win the loyalty of Ukrainian Internet users.  With little doubt we can say that this loyalty toward new media enormously impacts the way the traditional media are being treated.  The fact that 59 % of respondents don't buy printed media if there is an Internet version supports the previous statement.

Interesting data has been gathered, concerning "Civic journalism" (part of which involves a philosophy and values where journalists are more than detached spectators to events, but also active participants in their communities). It is clear that new media create great opportunities for Internet users as well as for those who try to reach the Internet-audience. It's important to understand, capture and respond to the activity of Internet users in order to take advantage of these opportunities.

New media give great opportunities to Internet users since individuals can now stand out and have their voices heard - so, maybe, that's why 60 % of Ukrainian Internet users support "Civic journalism".

The question about governmental control over the new media is of current importance and is presently being actively discussed in the Ukrainian media. That is why it was important to get the opinion of Internet users from all over the country on this hot topic. Around 63.8% of Internet audience supported the idea that new media should not be under strict governmental control since this type of media permits "Civic journalism" that is an integral part of a democratic society.

Also quite interesting: Ukrainian Internet users are not ready for the shift to paid content. This is confirmed by the fact that around 70% of respondents are not willing to pay for content in the event online media suggest that as the way of access to information as against paying for data on the web-site.  Although new media attempt to grasp the traditional media positions, 63.8% of the respondents tend to think that traditional media still will not be supplanted by new media. Another 36.2%, however, believe that new media can replace traditional media as time goes by.

*iVOX is an independent marketing research agency specializing in online research using online panel and other consumer databases. iVOX has access to over 25, 000 people from Ukraine. The agency has been active in Belgium since 2004 and in Ukraine since 2008.  It conducts online studies for clients including the FMCG and financial sector, communications and consulting agencies, governments, and universities.

**The sample of 1023 people from Ukraine is representative for the Internet-population of Ukraine, based on such categories as gender, age and the region of residence.