Essential Vision » environment groups

Trust in organisations and institutions

Essential Vision — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 02:50:27 +0000

Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?

	Total trust 26 Sep 11	Total trust 12 Jun 12	Total trust 22 Oct 12	A lot of trust	Some trust	A little trust	No trust	Don’t know	% change
The High Court	72%	60%	63%	26%	37%	21%	10%	6%	+3
The ABC	46%	54%	59%	20%	39%	26%	8%	6%	+5
The Reserve Bank	67%	49%	53%	16%	37%	28%	12%	8%	+4
Charitable organisations	61%	50%	53%	9%	44%	33%	10%	5%	+3
Environment groups	45%	32%	36%	8%	28%	35%	24%	6%	+4
The Commonwealth Public Service	49%*	30%	33%	6%	27%	41%	16%	10%	+3
Your local council	na	na	32%	4%	28%	39%	22%	6%	na
Religious organisations	29%	27%	31%	7%	24%	28%	35%	6%	+4
Newspapers	na	26%	31%	4%	27%	45%	20%	4%	+5
Online news media	na	23%	28%	4%	24%	45%	20%	6%	+5
TV news media	na	21%	26%	5%	21%	44%	26%	4%	+5
Federal Parliament	55%	22%	26%	4%	22%	37%	32%	5%	+4
State Parliament	na	na	25%	4%	21%	37%	33%	5%	na
Business groups	38%	22%	25%	3%	22%	45%	21%	9%	+3
Trade unions	39%	22%	23%	5%	18%	32%	36%	9%	+1
Political parties	na	12%	16%	2%	14%	36%	42%	6%	+4

Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’.
* This Commonwealth Public Service figure is from a question asked in 6 Feb 12.

Overall, there have been small increases in trust across all organisations since this question was last asked in June. However, there has been no significant change in the rankings.

Respondents had most trust in the High Court (63%), the ABC (59%), charitable organisations (53%) and the Reserve Bank (53%). They had least trust in political parties (16%), trade unions (23%), business groups (25%) State Parliaments (25%), Federal Parliament (26%) and TV news media (26%).

Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in Federal Parliament (40%), the High Court (67%), the ABC (68%), the Reserve Bank (61%), the Commonwealth Public Service (42%), trade unions (41%), environment groups (48%) and local councils (39%).

Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had more trust in religious organisations (37%) and business groups (32%) but less trust in Federal Parliament (21%), Commonwealth Public Service (28%), trade unions (14%) and environment groups (27%).

Bias in Media Reporting

Essential Vision — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:01:02 +0000

Q. Overall, do you think media reporting is biased in favour or against the following groups?

	Biased in favour	Biased against	Not biased	Don’t know	Net score
Business groups	27%	14%	29%	30%	+13
The Liberal Party	26%	22%	26%	26%	+4
Large corporations	26%	25%	23%	27%	+1
Environment groups	22%	25%	26%	27%	-3
The Greens	19%	27%	27%	27%	-8
Religious groups	14%	24%	32%	30%	-10
The Labor Party	18%	31%	26%	25%	-13
Unions	18%	32%	23%	26%	-14

Net score = bias in favour minus bias against.

Overall, respondents think that media reporting is biased in favour of business groups and biased against unions, the Labor Party and religious groups. They were evenly divided over whether media reporting is biased for or against the Liberal Party, large corporations, and environment groups.

Among Labor voters, 50% think the media are biased against the Labor Party and 43% think they are biased in favour of the Liberal Party.

Among Coalition voters, 34% think the media are biased against the Liberal Party and 29% think they are biased in favour of the Labor Party.

57% of Greens voters think the media are biased against the Greens.

Trust in Institutions

Essential Vision — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 04:18:33 +0000

Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?

	Total trust 26 Sep 11	Total trust 12 Jun 12	A lot of trust	Some trust	A little trust	No trust	Don’t know	% change
The High Court	72%	60%	20%	40%	24%	9%	7%	-12
The ABC	46%	54%	15%	39%	31%	10%	6%	+8
Charitable organisations	61%	50%	8%	42%	35%	10%	5%	-9
The Reserve Bank	67%	49%	13%	36%	30%	14%	7%	-18
Environment groups	45%	32%	6%	26%	35%	25%	7%	-13
The Commonwealth Public Service	49%*	30%	4%	26%	42%	18%	9%	-19
Religious organisations	29%	27%	5%	22%	30%	37%	6%	-2
Newspapers	na	26%	3%	23%	46%	23%	5%	na
Online news media	na	23%	2%	21%	45%	25%	6%	na
Federal Parliament	55%	22%	3%	19%	37%	36%	6%	-33
Trade unions	39%	22%	3%	19%	32%	37%	9%	-17
Business groups	38%	22%	2%	20%	46%	24%	8%	-16
TV news media	na	21%	3%	18%	43%	30%	5%	na
Political parties	na	12%	2%	10%	31%	52%	5%	na

Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’.

* This Commonwealth Public Service figure is from a question asked in 6 Feb 12.

Respondents had most trust in the High Court (60%), the ABC (54%), charitable organisations (50%) and the Reserve bank (49%). They had least trust in political parties (12%), TV news media (21%) Federal Parliament, trade unions and business groups (all 22%).

Trust in all institutions (except the ABC) declined since this question was asked last year. The major changes were a collapse in trust in Federal Parliament (-33%) and substantial declines in trust in the Commonwealth Public Service (-19%), the Reserve Bank (-18%), trade unions (-17%) and business groups (-16%).

Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in political parties (19%), Federal Parliament (34%), the High Court (67%), the Reserve Bank (57%), the Commonwealth Public Service (42%), trade unions (36%) and environment groups (43%).

Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had more trust in religious organisations (33%) and business groups (27%) but less trust in Federal parliament (17%), the ABC (46%), trade unions (14%) and environment groups (21%).