Media are more credible than governments
According to a study by Globescan, the media are held in higher regard than governments, particularly in developing countries.
More people around the world trust the media than their governments. This is the conclusion of a study by Globescan, which examined media perception and use in ten countries. The media is particularly trusted in developing countries: This is strongest in Nigeria, followed by India, Egypt and Russia.
On average, 61% of respondents believe the media, whereas only 52% trust government statements. In the USA (67% vs. 59%) and the UK (51% vs. 47%), the government has the say. In terms of medium, national television (82% trust, 16 % do not) is ahead. This is followed by national and regional newspapers (67% vs. 18%), public radio (67% vs. 18%) and international satellite TV (56% vs. 19%). Internet blogs are at the bottom of the list with 25% vs. 23%. Demand for media is high in all countries and age groups: seven out of ten respondents follow the news every day. The 18-24-year-olds (19%) prefer to get their news from the Internet, whereas only a few of the 55-64-year-olds (3%) consume this form of news. One in four respondents also stated that they had turned their back on a news source due to a loss of trust. In collaboration with the BBC, Reuter and The Media Center, Globescan surveyed 10,230 adults in the UK, USA, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia and South Korea during March and April 2006.
