Summary
- The war in Ukraine – especially the topic of sending Western troops, as well as the assistance provided to Ukraine, the expansion of the war, or the interview given by Vladimir Putin to Tucker Carlson – was the main theme that provided contexts for mentions and views for the vast majority of the actors considered. Discussions about the NATO leadership (and the hypothesis of Klaus Iohannis’ candidacy), the death of the incarcerated Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, the conflict in the Middle East, as well as some sporting events, also mattered.
- Ukraine returns to the top spot in the mentions ranking, increasing from the previous month. It swaps places with the EU, which drops to second position. Russia follows closely behind the EU in the ranking. Compared to the previous month, most of the actors included in the analysis register a decrease in the number of mentions (EU, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Israel), but this trend is balanced by those who are mentioned more frequently (Ukraine, Russia, NATO, France). The situation of the USA is also notable, with a relatively constant number of mentions from one month to another.
- The top of views (impact of mentions) is led by Ukraine, increasing from the previous month. It is followed by the EU and, at a short distance, by Russia. Compared to January, the majority of actors are experiencing a decline in the number of views. Exceptions are Ukraine, Russia, NATO, and the EU, the latter maintaining a relatively constant number of views (strictly numerically, there is also a slight increase for the EU).
- For half of the considered actors, the most mentions are on social media (especially Facebook). Exceptions are the USA, the United Kingdom, and Israel, which have more mentions in the online press. Ukraine and China also stand out with a balanced ratio of mentions between social media and the online press. Regarding the impact of mentions, the online press continues to generate the most views for the overwhelming majority of the analyzed actors. Exceptions are, as in the previous month, Germany and China for which mentions on social media have a greater impact compared to those in the online press.
The full study (in Romanian) is available here