Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
TOTAL:
Closely |
TOTAL:
Not closely |
|
The Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia | 69% | 31% |
The trial results of Covid-19 vaccines | 66% | 34% |
The Trump campaign’s ongoing legal disputes regarding the US presidential election | 56% | 44% |
The alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan | 53% | 47% |
- The Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia was the news item most closely followed over the past two weeks (69%), followed closely by the trial results of Covid-19 vaccines (66%).
- The Trump campaign’s ongoing legal disputes regarding the US presidential election was followed by 56% of people and the alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan by 53%.
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Very closely | 17% | 23% | 10% | 17% | 16% | 17% | 19% | 17% | 22% | 17% |
Fairly closely | 36% | 39% | 34% | 32% | 33% | 42% | 38% | 40% | 27% | 33% |
Not that closely | 31% | 27% | 36% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 30% | 32% | 31% | 29% |
Not closely at all | 16% | 11% | 21% | 18% | 20% | 10% | 13% | 11% | 21% | 21% |
TOTAL: Closely | 53% | 62% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 59% | 57% | 57% | 49% | 50% |
TOTAL: Not closely | 47% | 38% | 56% | 51% | 51% | 41% | 43% | 43% | 51% | 50% |
Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The Trump campaign’s ongoing legal disputes regarding the US presidential election
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Very closely | 22% | 29% | 16% | 23% | 25% | 19% | 21% | 25% | 29% | 28% |
Fairly closely | 34% | 36% | 33% | 38% | 31% | 34% | 39% | 36% | 28% | 28% |
Not that closely | 29% | 23% | 33% | 27% | 28% | 31% | 28% | 29% | 27% | 22% |
Not closely at all | 15% | 11% | 19% | 13% | 17% | 15% | 12% | 10% | 16% | 22% |
TOTAL: Closely | 56% | 65% | 48% | 60% | 56% | 54% | 60% | 61% | 57% | 55% |
TOTAL: Not closely | 44% | 35% | 52% | 40% | 44% | 46% | 40% | 39% | 43% | 45% |
Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The trial results of Covid-19 vaccines
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Very closely | 23% | 28% | 18% | 16% | 27% | 25% | 21% | 27% | 25% | 22% |
Fairly closely | 43% | 42% | 44% | 47% | 37% | 46% | 51% | 44% | 35% | 33% |
Not that closely | 25% | 23% | 26% | 28% | 25% | 22% | 21% | 23% | 31% | 29% |
Not closely at all | 9% | 7% | 11% | 9% | 11% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 10% | 15% |
TOTAL: Closely | 66% | 70% | 63% | 63% | 63% | 72% | 72% | 71% | 59% | 55% |
TOTAL: Not closely | 34% | 30% | 37% | 37% | 37% | 28% | 28% | 29% | 41% | 45% |
Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
TOTAL:
CLOSELY |
TOTAL:
NOT CLOSELY |
|
The 2020 US election | 68% | 32% |
The easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Victoria | 73% | 27% |
Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon’s resignation from the Shadow Cabinet | 29% | 71% |
The allegations of sexual misconduct in the Federal Parliament, as outlined in an ABC Four Corners documentary | 36% | 64% |
- The easing of restrictions in Victoria was the news item most closely followed over the past two weeks (73%), followed closely by the events following the US election (68%).
- The fall-out following the Four Corners documentary exposing allegations of sexual misconduct in the Federal Parliament was followed by 36% of people and Joel Fitzgibbon’s resignation from the Shadow Cabinet by 29%.
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The 2020 US election
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Very closely | 28% | 31% | 24% | 28% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 28% | 26% |
Fairly closely | 41% | 44% | 37% | 39% | 43% | 40% | 40% | 45% | 40% | 32% |
Not that closely | 22% | 18% | 26% | 24% | 21% | 21% | 20% | 18% | 24% | 29% |
Not closely at all | 10% | 7% | 12% | 9% | 9% | 11% | 9% | 5% | 7% | 13% |
TOTAL: CLOSELY | 68% | 75% | 62% | 67% | 70% | 68% | 70% | 77% | 69% | 58% |
TOTAL: NOT CLOSELY | 32% | 25% | 38% | 33% | 30% | 32% | 30% | 23% | 31% | 42% |
Base (n) | 1,010 | 479 | 531 | 250 | 383 | 377 | 323 | 404 | 80 | 122 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Victoria
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Very closely | 29% | 28% | 29% | 20% | 32% | 33% | 31% | 32% | 25% | 23% |
Fairly closely | 44% | 46% | 42% | 42% | 43% | 47% | 48% | 46% | 35% | 46% |
Not that closely | 20% | 20% | 20% | 26% | 19% | 16% | 17% | 17% | 30% | 22% |
Not closely at all | 7% | 5% | 9% | 12% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 9% | 10% |
TOTAL: CLOSELY | 73% | 75% | 71% | 62% | 75% | 80% | 79% | 79% | 61% | 69% |
TOTAL: NOT CLOSELY | 27% | 25% | 29% | 38% | 25% | 20% | 21% | 21% | 39% | 31% |
Base (n) | 1,010 | 479 | 531 | 250 | 383 | 377 | 323 | 404 | 80 | 122 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon’s resignation from the Shadow Cabinet
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Very closely | 10% | 14% | 5% | 7% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 13% | 10% | 7% |
Fairly closely | 20% | 25% | 15% | 19% | 18% | 21% | 21% | 22% | 13% | 24% |
Not that closely | 36% | 36% | 35% | 37% | 35% | 35% | 42% | 34% | 34% | 29% |
Not closely at all | 35% | 26% | 44% | 37% | 35% | 34% | 29% | 31% | 43% | 40% |
TOTAL: CLOSELY | 29% | 38% | 20% | 26% | 30% | 31% | 29% | 36% | 23% | 30% |
TOTAL: NOT CLOSELY | 71% | 62% | 80% | 74% | 70% | 69% | 71% | 64% | 77% | 70% |
Base (n) | 1,010 | 479 | 531 | 250 | 383 | 377 | 323 | 404 | 80 | 122 |

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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