BBC Survey on Trust

Results of a telephone survey conducted by Ipsos MORI among a representative sample of 1,070 adults in the UK, 3rd to 6th January, 2008 Which of these organisations do you trust the most? Next most? Trust the least? Next least?

% Trust most / next most % Trust least / next least 50 7 BBC BBC 47 15 NHS NHS

Church of 36 Church of 15 England England 29 16 Military Military

Media in 14 Media in 44 general general

Government 10 Government 65

Big British Big British 9 35 companies companies

Base: 1,070 UK adults age 16+, interviewed 3-6 Jan 2008 Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC2 Trust in newspapers

Q. To what extent do you trust … (newspaper read in past week or two) ... to tell the truth?

% of papers' own readers who trust it 'somewhat or a great deal' 100% 94% 93% 90% 89% 80%

70% 67% 60% 62% 55% 50%

40%

30% 31% 29% 20%

10%

0% Gua rdia n Te le gra ph inc Times inc Daily Mail inc Ex pre ss inc Mirror inc News of the Sun S unday Sunda y Sunday Sunday Sunday World

Base: All who have read newspaper ‘in past week or two’ Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC3 Trust in TV and radio stations

Q. To what extent do you trust … (TV or radio station watched/listened to regularly) … to tell the truth?

% of viewers/listeners who trust channel/station somewhat/great deal 100%

90% 95% 87% 80% 83% 85% 84% 77% 70% 74% 66% 60% 64% 62% 64% 50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% BBC One BBC Tw o Other BBC I TV Channe l 4 Five S ky Ra dio 4 Othe r BBC Na tiona l Loca l TV radio commercialcommercial

Base: All who watch or listen to that channel/station regularly Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC4 Who else do people trust?

Q. On balance, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

% who agree that More likely to believe politicians who explain ow n 79% policies rather than attacking other’s policies

Most people can be trusted 54%

Journalists who use tough questions with politicians 44% and officials are more likely to get the truth

I believe what my friends tell me 35%

I believe what I see and hear on the TV & Radio 33%

I trust politicians 16%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Base: 1,070 UK adults age 16+, interviewed 3-6 Jan 2008 Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC5 Trust in politicians

Q. On balance, do you agree or disagree with the following statement … “In general, I tend to trust politicians”

83% disagree, 16% agree; trust is: Why don't you trust politicians? Highest amongst men (19% vs 13% for women), Labour Don't tell truth 31% party supporters (23%), those in London (21%) and SE England (20%). Lowest in the North of England (90% disagree) and Don't deliver on promises 22% amongst those who believe Diana’s death was a conspiracy (92%) Work for the ir own ends The 16% who trust politicians more likely to: 17% ƒ Be worried about global warming ƒ Think most people can be trusted Say what people want to he ar 12% ƒ Believe what friends and TV/radio tell them ƒ Think asking tough questions of politicians elicits the truth Evasive/no straight answers 10% The 83% who disagree are more likely to: ƒ Think Britain accepts too many asylum seekers Have own agenda 7% ƒ Support the death penalty for certain kinds of murder ƒ Think TV competitions are fixed Corrupt 6%

Base: All respondents (1,070) / all who disagree (890) Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC6 Trust in government advice

Q. Which of the following would you trust the government’s advice on?

Would you trust government advice on...

Yes No

The effects of smoking 77% 22%

The dangers of speeding 76% 23%

The effects of alcohol or drugs 72% 27%

Protecting the environment 52% 47%

Your or your child's diet 42% 57%

The impact of immigration on the UK 26% 72%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Base: 1,070 UK adults age 16+, interviewed 3-6 Jan 2008 Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC7 Most powerful influences

Q Thinking of what affects and influences society and people’s day to day lives in Britain today, which of the following has the most powerful influence, and which has the least?

Influence on society Influe nce on society MOST LEAST

TV/radio TV/radio 34% 2% broadcasters broadcasters

Cele britie s 25% Cele brities 24%

Newspapers 21% Ne wspapers 7%

The The 10% 14% government government

Big Big 7% 15% companie s companies

Civil Civil 3% 36% se rvant s serv ants

Base: 1,070 UK adults age 16+, interviewed 3-6 Jan 2008 Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC8 Conspiracy theories

A quarter of the UK (24%) believe the death of Princess Diana was a conspiracy rather than an accident. Just 6% believe that those behind 9/11 were US rather than foreign terrorists.

% who believe Diana's death was... % who believe the people behind 9/11 were... 100% 80% 64% 100% 85% 60% 40% 24% 50% 20% 6% 0% 0% an accident a conspiracy foreign terrorists US radicals

Conspiracy theorists: Two thirds (65% ) of those from an ƒ Those who don’t trust politicians (27%). ethnic minority background believe those behind 9/11 were foreign ƒ Red top tabloid readers (36%) terrorists. ƒ Londoners (30%)

Base: 1,070 UK adults age 16+, interviewed 3-6 Jan 2008 Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC9 UFOs and climate change

Almost a third of the UK (30%) believe evidence of UFO landings is being hidden from the public whilst 61% do not. People are divided on whether global warming is a natural phenomenon or a result of human activity

% who believe that evidence of UFO % who believe climate change and global landings... warming is...

61% 47% 42%

30%

are being hidden from do not exist a natural phenomenon a result of human activity the public

Base: 1,070 UK adults age 16+, interviewed 3-6 Jan 2008 Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC10 Ghosts, witches and wizards

Women much more likely than men to believe in ghosts, witches and the afterlife.

Those who trust politicians (33%), Radio 4 Q2: please tell me which of the following listeners (27%) and quality newspaper readers you believe in: (28%) significantly less likely to believe in Witches 16% ghosts than the UK overall (42%). and 19% Those significantly more likely to believe in wizards % All ghosts include those who vote in TV polls such % Women as X Factor and Strictly (55%) and those who believe Diana’s death was a conspiracy (60%). 42% Ghos ts There are no correlations with party political 53% affiliation nor whether or not voted in the last election. Those from a minority ethnic background were 50% more likely to believe in both witches (27%) Life after and life after death (65%), but no more so than dea th 60% the UK average to believe in ghosts.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Base: 1,070 UK adults age 16+, interviewed 3-6 Jan 2008 Source: Ipsos MORI / BBC11