Univox Study: Interest in Politics Continues to Decline

Although the Internet is being used more and more, only a few people use it to obtain political information. In this area, TV, radio, and newspapers continue to take center stage. However, interest in coverage of politics and the economy has generally declined in recent years, as shown by the latest Univox analysis. Three-quarters of those surveyed have access to the Internet, but only half use it occasionally as a source of political information. The Internet is used daily by 29 percent of people; ten years ago, that figure was just three percent.
By 2002, readership of the newspaper had declined rapidly, but has since stabilized. Television viewership has also been on the rise again since 2002; in this area, the SRG has been able to hold its own against foreign channels. In contrast, the SRG has suffered a steady loss of listeners to private local radio stations.
Only 26 percent of those surveyed are interested in politics. In 2002, 40 percent of respondents had rated their interest in politics as very strong. The author of this study, Heinz Bonfadelli of the Institute for Journalism at the University of Zurich, attributes the declining interest in politics to the shift toward a more individualistic society that is increasingly focused on the market and entertainment, while politics and the economy are taking a back seat.