CHANGING MEDIA CONSUMPTION PRACTICES IN UKRAINE : FROM TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the evolution of media consumption practices in Ukraine from traditional statecontrolled formats to a diverse digital media environment. The study aims to identify the key historical, political, and technological factors that have shaped these changes, with a particular focus on the role of media during pivotal socio-political events such as the Revolution of Dignity, the annexation of Crimea, and the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
Research methodology. The article is based on a qualitative analysis of open-source materials, including academic publications, expert reports, media analytics, and statistical data. More than twelve relevant sources were reviewed, encompassing cultural research, digital media studies, public statistics, and media literacy programmes. Historical contextualisation and comparative analysis are employed to trace long-term shifts in Ukrainian media behaviour.
Results. The research identifies several stages in the transformation of media consumption in Ukraine: from the centralised media of the Soviet era to the liberalisation of the 1990 s, the commercialisation of the 2000 s, and the digitalisation intensified by military conflict and crisis. The study demonstrates how digital platforms 3 especially social media and messaging apps 3 have become crucial tools for communication, news, and civic mobilisation. A generational gap in media preferences is highlighted: older audiences continue to rely on television and print media, while younger users engage with interactive and mobile formats. The study also documents the decline of regional media outlets and the emergence of new forms of user-generated journalism.
Novelty of the article lies in its integrated approach to analysing Ukrainian media consumption as both a technological and socio-cultural phenomenon. It highlights how war, crisis, and digital infrastructure jointly reconfigure the media environment, and how media platforms shape patterns of public communication and information resilience in real time.
The practical significance. The findings are relevant for media researchers, cultural scholars, educators in the field of media literacy, and civil society actors countering disinformation. The article also contributes to a better understanding of how digital media function under conditions of hybrid warfare, political instability, and societal transformation.