Ukrainians Turn To RFE/RL For EuroMaydan Coverage
Unprecedented numbers of Ukrainians are turning to RFE/RL and its Ukrainian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda, as a vital source of authoritative news about Kyiv’s EuroMaydan protests.
Since November 25, the Service’s live video stream from the protests on Independence Square (Maydan) and elsewhere in the capital city, has been accessed more than 19 million times via RFE/RL’s PangeaTV service. Organizers have streamed the video to protesters on the streets of Kyiv, and local broadcast media, including the popular site Ukrayinska Pravda, have also promoted the live video stream. CNN aired live video from the Service on December 4, as have numerous RFE/RL Services and VOA’s Ukrainian Service, while “The New York Times,” Bloomberg, “Financial Times,” “The Atlantic,” “Jerusalem Post,” and CNBC cited RFE/RL’s Ukraine coverage in their reporting.
The Service’s in-depth analysis of the Ukrainian government’s decision to back away from an Association Agreement with the EU, and the unrest resulting from that decision, has also drawn massive numbers of visitors to radiosvoboda.org, which has recorded nearly 3.8 million visits since November 24 (87 percent from Ukraine), including 575,000 on December 2 alone.