Media Coverage and Opinion-Making: A Case Study of the Representation of Ukraine and Ukrainians in Rzeczpospolita and Gazeta Wyborcza During the Russian-Ukrainian War

This article presents the results of research on media coverage of current affairs related to Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Polish newspapers Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita. These are two of the most influential media outlets in Poland, so their coverage is of significant importance for Polish-Ukrainian relations. To investigate how the press can influence public opinion in Poland by spreading different narratives, a case study was conducted. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to examine the image of Ukraine and Ukrainians in Polish media. The research timeframe covered almost three years, from the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, to the end of 2024 (December 31, 2024). A content analysis was performed on the total number of publications in the selected media to identify those dedicated to Ukraine or Ukrainians. In total, 807 publications from Rzeczpospolita and Gazeta Wyborcza were analyzed. These publications were selected for qualitative research based on the following criteria: date of publication, headline, genre, topic, the presence or absence of illustrations, and the connotation of the publication in relation to its attitude toward Ukraine.