Eighty-one percent of metro adults feel it is important to have independent TV and radio stations and newspapers so that people receive unbiased news, a new survey has revealed.
This is significantly higher than the figure of 73% obtained in a similar study four years ago, TNS Research Surveys said on Wednesday.
In the 2010 study, only 7% disagreed with the study, while 12% gave a “don’t know” response.
TNS surveyed 2 000 adults — 1 260 black people, 385 white people, 240 coloured people and 115 Indian/Asian people — in the seven major metropolitan areas.
Respondents were asked to agree or disagree with the statement, “It is important to have independent TV stations, radio stations and newspapers so we get unbiased news.”
The exact same statement had been posed in October 2006.
These figures had a margin of error of less than 2,5%.
TNS also asked people to agree or disagree with the statement, “The media help to expose corruption.”
The level of agreement with this statement was 75% — essentially the same as the 74% obtained in the 2006 study.
Thirteen percent disagreed and 12% again gave a “don’t know” response.
Across race groups
TNS said while there were differences between race groups, these were much smaller than usual — the feeling cut across all race groups.
On the importance of an independent media, 78% of black people agreed (up from 69% in 2006), 89% of white people agreed (slightly up from 85%), 83% of coloured people agreed (up from 70%), and 84% of Indian/Asian people agreed (same as the 85% in 2006).
“Hence, the increase in 2010 comes largely from blacks and coloureds,” TNS said.
There were no differences by age, but more affluent people felt somewhat more strongly.
On whether the media helped to expose corruption, 75% of black people agreed (76% in 2006), 71% of white people agreed (65% in 2006), 73% of coloured people agreed (78% in 2006), and 89% of Indians/Asians (78% in 2006).
TNS said it was clear that the role of the media in providing balanced and unbiased news coverage and in exposing corruption was seen to be very important, and this importance had grown in the past four years.
“Given the intention of the government to amend the Information Act to restrict the release of information to the public, this would appear to be a move most people would oppose,” it said. — Sapa