In June 2014, a Gallup poll found that 71.3% of Crimeans saw the role of Russia in the crisis as mostly positive while only 8.8% saw it as mostly negative.
The linked document mentions “cessation of broadcasting of some Ukrainian TV channels” in Crimea; not sure what that refers to. The interesting part is that most people in the region report getting their information mostly from television. In 2012 this referred to Ukrainian TV channels. In 2014, after annexation by Russia, this referred to Russian TV channels.
So I am tempted to interpret this poll as: “people mostly make their opinions based on what they see on TV, and after non-Russian TV channels became unavailable, most people concluded that Russia is the good guy.”
This of course does not disagree with the premise of the article that the population of Crimea may not welcome the Ukrainian army. Just adding some context.
Wondering if another take might be that for most people life under Ukraine or under Russia rule is largely the same. That would certainly make taking what one hears on TV—which ever source you’re being fed—as truth and so the views and values what represent the “good guy” side.
Multiple things are happening, it would be hard to disentangle them in absence of more detailed data.
Some people genuinely prefer Russia’s rule.
Some people think it’s the same, so they favor status quo to yet another fight.
Some people think it’s slightly worse, but still not worth yet another fight.
Some people who didn’t like Russia’s rule were killed or left Crimea.
Some new people arrived from Russia.
Some people are okay with Russia’s rule based on what they learn from Russian TV, but they would not be okay if they also had access to non-Russian TV.
Some people do not trust the anonymity of the poll, and believe (correctly or not) that they would be punished if they voted against Russia.
All of these contribute to the poll in the same direction, but from outside some of them could be interpreted as “Russia good” and some could be interpreted as “Russia bad”. The poll alone does not tell us the proportion of that.
The linked document mentions “cessation of broadcasting of some Ukrainian TV channels” in Crimea; not sure what that refers to. The interesting part is that most people in the region report getting their information mostly from television. In 2012 this referred to Ukrainian TV channels. In 2014, after annexation by Russia, this referred to Russian TV channels.
So I am tempted to interpret this poll as: “people mostly make their opinions based on what they see on TV, and after non-Russian TV channels became unavailable, most people concluded that Russia is the good guy.”
This of course does not disagree with the premise of the article that the population of Crimea may not welcome the Ukrainian army. Just adding some context.
Wondering if another take might be that for most people life under Ukraine or under Russia rule is largely the same. That would certainly make taking what one hears on TV—which ever source you’re being fed—as truth and so the views and values what represent the “good guy” side.
Multiple things are happening, it would be hard to disentangle them in absence of more detailed data.
Some people genuinely prefer Russia’s rule.
Some people think it’s the same, so they favor status quo to yet another fight.
Some people think it’s slightly worse, but still not worth yet another fight.
Some people who didn’t like Russia’s rule were killed or left Crimea.
Some new people arrived from Russia.
Some people are okay with Russia’s rule based on what they learn from Russian TV, but they would not be okay if they also had access to non-Russian TV.
Some people do not trust the anonymity of the poll, and believe (correctly or not) that they would be punished if they voted against Russia.
All of these contribute to the poll in the same direction, but from outside some of them could be interpreted as “Russia good” and some could be interpreted as “Russia bad”. The poll alone does not tell us the proportion of that.