big tech, Facebook, Google+, News
Q. How frequently do you use technology platforms like Google and social media to search for and read news articles?
| Mar’21 | Sep’20 | |
| At least daily | 49% | 52% |
| At least once a week | 24% | 22% |
| At least once a month | 7% | 8% |
| Less frequently than one a month | 10% | 6% |
| Never | 11% | 11% |
| Base (n) | 1,074 | 1,076 |
| Total | Age Group | |||
| 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| At least daily | 49% | 51% | 58% | 38% |
| At least once a week | 24% | 28% | 25% | 20% |
| At least once a month | 7% | 10% | 6% | 5% |
| Less frequently than one a month | 10% | 7% | 6% | 17% |
| Never | 11% | 4% | 6% | 20% |
| Base (n) | 1,074 | 326 | 363 | 385 |
ABC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, cut funding, Federal Government, Government spending, News, news coverage
Q. If the Federal Government cut funding to the ABC do you think it would be because:
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| The Government needs to reduce overall spending |
45% |
36% |
64% |
25% |
39% |
|
| The Government doesn’t like the ABC’s news coverage |
28% |
38% |
6% |
65% |
36% |
|
| The ABC has more than enough funding to do its job efficiently |
10% |
6% |
17% |
1% |
7% |
|
| Don’t know |
18% |
20% |
13% |
9% |
18% |
45% think that funding cuts to the ABC would be made because the Government needs to reduce overall spending and 28% think it would be because the Government doesn’t like the ABC’s news coverage.
Those more likely to think it would be because the Government doesn’t like the ABC’s news coverage were Greens voters (65%), Labor voters (38%), income less than $600pw (38%) and university educated (34%).
ABC radio, ABC TV, Blogs, Essential Report, free-to-air TV, Internet, media, News, Newspapers, pay TV, Polling, Radio
Q. Thinking about where you get your news, on an average day which of the following media would you use? (multiple response)
Q. And which one is your main source of news?
| Total used | Main source | Total use (weekdays) Dec 10 | ||
| Daily newspaper | 41% | 13% | 42% | |
| Commercial (free-to-air) TV news | 60% | 31% | 64% | |
| ABC TV news | 32% | 8% | 32% | |
| SBS TV news | 15% | 2% | 12% | |
| Pay TV news | 11% | 3% | 10% | |
| Commercial radio news | 28% | 5% | 27% | |
| ABC radio news | 18% | 5% | 17% | |
| Internet news sites – e.g. newspaper sites, ABC, etc | 59% | 30% | 55% | |
| Internet blogs | 8% | * | 6% | |
| None of them | 2% | 2% | 5% |
The most used media for daily news were commercial TV news (60% use daily), internet news sites (59%) and daily newspapers (41%).
Since this question was last asked in December last year, usage of internet news sites has increased a little (+4%) and commercial TV news decreased a little (-4%).
The main sources of news were commercial TV news (31%) and internet news sites (30%).
Commercial TV news was the main source of news for 38% of those aged 45-64, 36% of women and 44% of part-time workers.
Internet news sites were the main source of news for 43% of those aged under 35 and 36% of full-time workers.
Daily newspapers were the main source of news for 26% of those aged 65+.
ABC radio, ABC TV, Commercial radio, Commercial TV, Daily newspapers, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, media, News, Polling, polls, SBS, Sky News, the media, trust in media
Q. How much would you say you trust each of the following media sources to provide you with the news and information you want about Australian politics?
| A lot/some trust | |||||||||||
| Total a lot/some trust | Total not much/no trust | A lot of trust | Some trust | Not much trust | No trust at all | Don’t know | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | ||
| ABC TV | 76% | 15% | 29% | 47% | 9% | 6% | 9% | 73% | 77% | 79% | |
| SBS | 70% | 15% | 24% | 46% | 10% | 5% | 15% | 69% | 72% | 67% | |
| ABC radio | 69% | 17% | 25% | 44% | 11% | 6% | 14% | 66% | 71% | 71% | |
| Daily newspapers | 53% | 40% | 6% | 47% | 31% | 9% | 7% | 52% | 53% | 52% | |
| Commercial TV | 45% | 48% | 4% | 41% | 35% | 13% | 7% | 42% | 48% | 44% | |
| Sky News | 41% | 25% | 7% | 34% | 17% | 8% | 34% | 46% | 42% | 34% | |
| Commercial radio | 40% | 48% | 4% | 36% | 34% | 14% | 12% | 34% | 44% | 41% | |
The most trusted media for news and information about politics were ABC TV (76%), SBS (70%) and ABC radio (69%). The least trusted were commercial radio and commercial TV (both 48% not much or no trust).
Those aged 18-34 tended to have more trust in Sky News (46%) but less trust in commercial radio (34%).
The major differences by voting intention were that Liberal/National voters have more trust in commercial TV (52%), Sky News (48%) and commercial radio (49%).
EMC, ER, Essential Media, Esssential Report, government in the media, media, News, Perceptions of Media, politics in the media, Polling, polls, the media
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| The media usually reports the news accurately | 35% | 54% | 2% | 33% | 41% | 13% | 12% |
| The media usually reports all sides of a story | 21% | 69% | 1% | 20% | 46% | 23% | 10% |
| The media is too critical of government and politicians in Australia | 29% | 57% | 4% | 25% | 46% | 11% | 14% |
| These days I rely more on the internet than newspapers and TV for my news and information about politics. | 44% | 46% | 12% | 32% | 37% | 9% | 10% |
| I trust the media more than I trust politicians | 37% | 43% | 4% | 33% | 33% | 10% | 20% |
| I trust politicians more than I trust the media | 16% | 65% | 1% | 15% | 44% | 21% | 18% |
| The media does a good job of scrutinizing politics and holding politicians accountable | 45% | 43% | 3% | 42% | 31% | 12% | 12% |
| Overall, the media are politically biased in favour of the Liberal Party | 19% | 55% | 4% | 15% | 44% | 11% | 26% |
| Overall, the media are politically biased in favour of the Labor Party | 23% | 50% | 5% | 18% | 41% | 9% | 25% |
| The media are too focused on personalities and not enough on policies | 70% | 18% | 21% | 49% | 15% | 3% | 12% |
| There is too much coverage of politics in the media | 34% | 52% | 7% | 27% | 45% | 7% | 14% |
| The media does a good job of helping people to understand political and social issues | 40% | 48% | 2% | 38% | 36% | 12% | 12% |
| I follow the news closely every day | 57% | 38% | 10% | 47% | 32% | 6% | 6% |
The majority of respondents disagree that the media usually reports all sides of a story (69%) and that the media reports the news accurately (54%).
However, they tend to trust the media a little more than they trust politicians – 37% agree they trust the media more and 16% agree they trust politicians more.
The results also indicate that respondents want more rather than less coverage of politics – only 34% agree that there is too much coverage of politics and 57% disagree that the media is too critical of government and politicians.
Respondents were divided over whether the media does a good job of scrutinizing politics and holding politicians accountable (45% agree/43% disagree) and tended to disagree that the media does a good job of helping people to understand political and social issues (40% agree/48% disagree).
70% agree that the media are too focused on personalities and not enough on policies.
A minority of respondents think the media are biased – 23% think they are biased in favour of the Labor Party and 19% in favour of the Liberal Party.
ABC, free-to-air TV, media, News, Newspapers, pay TV, Radio, SBS, the media
Q. Thinking about where you get your news, on an average weekday which of the following media would you use?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Daily newspaper | 42% | 42% | 47% | 38% |
| Commercial (free-to-air) TV news | 64% | 68% | 67% | 57% |
| ABC TV news | 32% | 34% | 34% | 32% |
| SBS TV news | 12% | 10% | 11% | 19% |
| Pay TV news | 10% | 11% | 11% | 6% |
| Commercial radio news | 27% | 23% | 34% | 20% |
| ABC radio news | 17% | 17% | 17% | 22% |
| Internet news sites – e.g. newspaper sites, ABC, etc | 55% | 54% | 59% | 56% |
| Internet blogs | 6% | 4% | 7% | 10% |
| None of them | 5% | 2% | 3% | 10% |
The most commonly used news sources on weekdays are commercial TV news (64%), internet news sites (55%) and newspapers (42%).
Respondents aged 45+ were more likely to use commercial TV news (70%), newspapers (48%), and ABC TV news (43%). Those aged under 35 were more likely to access internet news sites (60%) and less likely to read newspapers (36%). Comments »
ABC, Blogs, free-to-air TV, media, News, Newspapers, pay TV, Radio, SBS, the media
Q. And where do you get your news on an average weekend?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Weekend newspaper | 50% | 51% | 56% | 43% |
| Commercial (free-to-air) TV news | 59% | 64% | 62% | 42% |
| ABC TV news | 28% | 29% | 30% | 29% |
| SBS TV news | 10% | 9% | 10% | 13% |
| Pay TV news | 9% | 9% | 10% | 3% |
| Commercial radio news | 17% | 15% | 22% | 10% |
| ABC radio news | 13% | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Internet news sites – e.g. newspaper sites, ABC, etc | 42% | 41% | 43% | 42% |
| Internet blogs | 4% | 2% | 4% | 8% |
| None of them | 6% | 4% | 3% | 15% |
The most commonly used news sources on weekends are commercial TV news (59%), newspapers (50%) and internet news sites (42%). Respondents were more likely to read newspapers on weekends than weekdays (42% weekdays/50% weekends) but less likely to view commercial TV news (64%/59%) or internet news sites (55%/42%).
Respondents aged 55+ were more likely to use commercial TV news (65%), newspapers (61%), and ABC TV news (46%). Comments »
ABC, Blogs, free-to-air TV, media, News, Newspapers, pay TV, SBS, the media, trust in media
Q. Please rate your level of trust in the news and information from each source.
|
|
Total always/usually trustworthy |
Always trustworthy |
Usually trustworthy |
Seldom trustworthy |
I do not trust it at all |
Don’t know |
| ABC TV news | 82% | 21% | 61% | 7% | 3% | 8% |
| SBS TV news | 78% | 19% | 59% | 8% | 2% | 12% |
| ABC radio news | 78% | 18% | 60% | 8% | 3% | 12% |
| Commercial (free-to-air) TV news | 69% | 5% | 64% | 20% | 6% | 5% |
| Internet news sites – e.g. newspaper sites, ABC, etc | 66% | 5% | 61% | 18% | 4% | 12% |
| Newspapers | 65% | 3% | 62% | 22% | 7% | 6% |
| Commercial radio news | 62% | 4% | 58% | 19% | 8% | 11% |
| Pay TV news | 48% | 4% | 44% | 14% | 6% | 32% |
| Internet blogs | 17% | 1% | 16% | 31% | 26% | 26% |
The most trusted news sources were ABC TV news (82%), ABC radio news (78%) and SBS TV news (78%).
The least trustworthy were internet blogs (57% seldom/no trust), newspapers (29%), commercial radio news (27%) and commercial TV news (26%).
Women were more likely than men to trust commercial TV news (75%/62%), newspapers (68%/63%) and commercial radio news (68%/55%). Comments »