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  • Aug, 2013

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    Trust in media coverage of election campaign

    Q. How much trust do you have in the way the following media have reported and commented on the election campaign so far?

     

    Total a lot/sometrust

     

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    Not much trust

    No trust at all

    Don’t know

    Don’t use

    ABC TV

    58%

    22%

    36%

    10%

    7%

    8%

    17%

    SBS TV

    52%

    16%

    36%

    9%

    5%

    10%

    24%

    Commercial TV

    29%

    3%

    26%

    34%

    19%

    9%

    9%

    ABC radio

    49%

    16%

    33%

    10%

    8%

    8%

    25%

    Commercial radio

    25%

    4%

    21%

    27%

    19%

    10%

    18%

    The Australian

    31%

    5%

    26%

    15%

    16%

    9%

    27%

    The Telegraph (NSW)

    25%

    7%

    18%

    21%

    28%

    7%

    19%

    Sydney Morning Herald (NSW)

    39%

    7%

    32%

    21%

    16%

    8%

    17%

    The Age (Victoria)

    42%

    7%

    35%

    21%

    13%

    9%

    15%

    Herald Sun (Victoria)

    30%

    5%

    25%

    25%

    26%

    8%

    12%

    Courier Mail (Queensland)

    23%

    2%

    21%

    20%

    21%

    9%

    27%

    The most trusted media for coverage of the election campaign were ABC TV (58% trust), SBS TV (52%) and ABC radio (49%).

    The most trusted newspapers were The Age (42%) and the Sydney Morning Herald (39%).

    The least trusted media were the Courier Mail (23%), The Telegraph (25%) and commercial radio (25%).

  • Jan, 2013

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    Trust in newspapers

    Q. How much trust do you have in what you read in the following newspapers?

     

    Total a lot/some

    25 Jul 11

    Total a lot/some

    25 Jun 12

    Total a lot/some

    21 Jan 13

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    Not much trust

    No trust at all

    Don’t know

    The Australian

    69%

    60%

    65%

    10%

    55%

    20%

    10%

    5%

    The Telegraph (NSW only)

    52%

    49%

    48%

    5%

    43%

    35%

    15%

    2%

    Sydney Morning Herald (NSW only)

    74%

    69%

    71%

    12%

    59%

    20%

    9%

    1%

    The Age (Victoria only)

    79%

    76%

    71%

    11%

    60%

    16%

    9%

    4%

    Herald Sun (Victoria only)

    54%

    51%

    50%

    8%

    42%

    28%

    20%

    2%

    Courier Mail (Queensland only)

    65%

    51%

    57%

    4%

    53%

    22%

    19%

    3%

    * Note : Percentages based only on respondents who had read each newspaper.

    Among those who have read the newspaper, 11% have a lot of trust in The Age and 12% have a lot of trust in the SMH. 10% of readers of The Australian have a lot of trust in the newspaper but only 5% have a lot of trust in The Telegraph and 4% in the Courier mail.  50% have not much or no trust in The Telegraph and 48% have not much or no trust in The Herald Sun.

    Overall, the most trusted newspapers were The Age (71% a lot/some trust) and the SMH (71%). The least trusted were The Telegraph (48% a lot/some trust) and the HeraldSun (50%).

    Since this question was asked last year, there have been increase in trust in the Courier Mail (up 6%) and The Australian (up 5%), while the Age has declined  by 5%.

  • Jun, 2012

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    Trust in Newspapers

    Q. How much trust do you have in what you read in the following newspapers?

    Total a lot/some

    25 Jul 11

    Total a lot/some

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    Not much trust

    No trust at all

    Don’t know

    The Australian

    69%

    60%

    15%

    45%

    23%

    12%

    6%

    The Telegraph (NSW only)

    52%

    49%

    10%

    39%

    30%

    19%

    3%

    Sydney Morning Herald (NSW only)

    74%

    69%

    19%

    50%

    22%

    6%

    4%

    The Age (Victoria only)

    79%

    76%

    20%

    56%

    18%

    5%

    1%

    Herald Sun (Victoria only)

    54%

    51%

    8%

    43%

    32%

    15%

    1%

    Courier Mail (Queensland only)

    65%

    51%

    6%

    45%

    28%

    13%

    7%

    * Note : Percentages based only on respondents who had read each newspaper.

    Among those who have read the newspaper, 20% have a lot of trust in The Age and 19% have a lot of trust in the SMH. 15% of readers of The Australian have a lot of trust in the newspaper but only 10% have a lot of trust in The Telegraph and 8% in The Herald Sun.  49% have not much or no trust in The Telegraph and 47% have not much or no trust in The Herald Sun.

    Overall, the most trusted newspapers were The Age (76% a lot/some trust) and the SMH (69%). The least trusted were The Telegraph (49% a lot/some trust), the HeraldSun (51%) and the Courier Mail (51%).

    Since this question was asked last year, there have been significant declines in trust in the Courier Mail (down 14%) and The Australian (down 9%).

    Liberal/National voters (70%) were more likely than Labor voters (48%) to have a lot or some trust in The Australian.

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