As online media, including social media platforms, become the primary and go-to resource for traditional communication, news and the spread of information is more present and accessible to consumers than ever before. This research focuses on analyzing Twitter data on the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War to understand the significance of social media during this period in comparison to previous conflicts. The significance of social media and political conflict will be examined through Twitter user analysis and sentiment analysis. This case study will conduct sentiment analysis on a random sample of tweets from a given dataset, followed by user analysis and classification methods. The data will explore the implications for understanding public opinion on the conflict, the strengths and limitations of Twitter as a data source, and the next steps for future research. Highlighting the implications of the research findings will allow consumers and political stakeholders to make more informed decisions in the future.

This thesis seeks to explore issues of media governance and engagement in nations at the margin of democracy, subsequently establishing the basis of a policy framework which can bolster media freedom and enhance the potential for democratic consolidation. The paper conducts a case study on the domestic media markets of Hungary and Poland, and explores foreign-influence efforts in Ukraine. It concludes with an analysis of the policy or market-based tools available to promote and protect media freedom.