Most publications in Ukrainian media on the topic of corruption cover measures of holding perpetrators accountable, while social networks are sources of a pessimistic discourse regarding impunity for corruption. This is evidenced by the results of media monitoring of the information space in the second quarter of 2025, conducted by the Content Analysis Center at the request of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) with the financial support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI).
Thus, 72% of all media materials about corruption reported on cases of detentions, notices of suspicion, investigations, and punishments. Impunity for corruption was mentioned in 15% of publications. In contrast, on social networks, 39% of messages about corruption informed about accountability and punishment, while 43% emphasized impunity.
Most media materials about corruption (71%) were news reports, while on social networks purely informational posts were almost three times fewer. Instead, almost 30% of posts were emotional statements about corruption cases or corruption in general.
The attention of both media and social networks was mainly focused on covering corruption in government. Petty corruption accounted for no more than 10% of all messages. These figures correspond to the data of sociological surveys in Ukraine, where among all types of corruption, political corruption at the highest level is considered the most serious problem.
In the coverage of high-level corruption, there is a general trend of prevailing negative attitudes on social networks. Almost half of all posts about top-level corruption on social media contained statements about its impunity, while in the media such claims accounted for only 17%. Responsibility for corruption in both media and social networks was mainly attributed to the President and his Office.
Significant emotional attention was driven by pro-Russian bloggers and experts, particularly during information attacks against Ukraine’s top officials. Pro-Russian sources continued to promote the narrative of total corruption in Ukraine and the impossibility of overcoming it. The key message of pro-Russian propagandists and Telegram channels was that the authorities exploit the war for personal enrichment, embezzle Western aid, and steal funds intended for the Armed Forces. Pro-Ukrainian bloggers also engaged in emotional appeals, but without framing them as hopeless. Anonymous Telegram channels, so-called “drain tanks,” also regularly addressed issues of embezzlement in the army and systematically criticized Ukraine’s European integration efforts, hinting at their connection with corruption.
In the second quarter, several waves of information attacks against anti-corruption bodies were observed, involving news outlets with questionable reputations.
This time, the media monitoring for the first time examined the thematic distribution of publications on corruption across different sectors. In addition to abuses in the defense sector, Ukrainian media and social networks reported on corruption in construction and land relations, as well as among law enforcement officers and judges.
Publications about anti-corruption prevention measures in the information space were extremely rare — only 1-2%. Media and social networks practically did not cover the impact of digitalization, deregulation, and open data on combating corruption, and rarely communicated about the fight against corruption in the context of European integration.
It is worth noting that according to a recent survey by the Rating sociological group, Telegram remains the main source of information for Ukrainians.
Reference. The media study was conducted based on a sample of the Top-100 platforms, which included news websites and print media, as well as news releases of seven TV channels (the “United News” telethon, Pryamyi, Channel 5, Espreso, Channel 24, Kyiv TV, and Suspilne Kyiv). Within this sample, during the study period, 16,895 messages were identified containing the words “corruption,” “bribery,” and others, as well as the names of anti-corruption bodies.
On social networks, 800 of the most popular posts on Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube were analyzed — those that received the widest reach and the highest number of audience interactions. Both specifically Ukrainian accounts and pro-Russian ones targeting the Ukrainian audience were taken into account.
The implementation of quarterly and annual media monitoring on the topic of corruption and the fight against it is provided for by the Communication Strategy in the field of preventing and combating corruption until 2025, as well as by the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023–2025.
