MARKET INSIGHTS TRUST IN MEDIA 2020 MEDIA INTELLIGENCE SERVICE APRIL 2020 1 CONTENTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT 3 METHODOLOGY 3 KEY FINDINGS 4 TRUST IN MEDIA ACROSS EUROPE 6 TRUST IN NEWS 15 TRUST IN NEWS AND COVID-19 23 TRUST IN RADIO 29 TRUST IN TV 33 TRUST IN THE WRITTEN PRESS 37 TRUST IN THE INTERNET 41 TRUST IN SOCIAL NETWORKST 45 TRUST – IT’S COMPLICATED 49 APPENDIX: COUNTRY CODES 53 2 EBU Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2020 ABOUT THIS PROJECT METHODOLOGY In the age of media abundance, trust is important in the relationship This report is primarily based on data from the 92nd Standard between media and their audience. However, maintaining a high level Eurobarometer, where the Net Trust Index is deducted from. The 92nd of trust is more and more challenging in a world of news overflow and wave of the survey was conducted in November 2019 in the 28 EU disinformation. Measuring trust is therefore essential for tracking member states and the five candidate countries. In the section about citizens' perceptions of the media system in general and a media trust in news, the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2019 is used as organization and its output in particular. This is crucial for audience an additional source, whereas the section on trust and COVID-19 is building and useful for the organization's strategic planning. based on survey data from GlobalWebIndex, Reuters Institute, British regulator Ofcom and EBU member organizations. What is trust? • Trust is an individual’s perception of the reliability of other Eurobarometer individuals and institutions and the result of socio-economic The question asked in the Eurobarometer survey is: conditions, education and long-standing perceptions. ‘I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in • Media organizations can work to increase trust in the medium and certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and long term by championing credibility and authenticity. institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust or tend not to trust it.’ • However, the results will not only be related to their performance Respondents may also answer ‘do not know’. The types of media and values but also to external factors beyond the organizations’ included are radio, television, the written press, internet, and online control, e.g. cultural or economic factors. social networks. • In organizations with substantial societal relevance, such as public service media, trust is also related to social responsibility. Net Trust Index The Net Trust Index has been developed by the EBU Media Intelligence How is it measured? Service to obtain an idea of the level of trust each country’s citizens There are several annual studies that measure the level of trust in have in the different types of media. The Net Trust Index is defined as media. For this report the results of the Standard Eurobarometer were the difference between the percentage of the population who used: answered 'tend to trust' and 'tend not to trust‘ to the survey question, • A public opinion survey by the European Commission, currently not taking into account ‘do not know’ replies. The index can range conducted by TNS. from a minimum value of -100 to a maximum value of +100. A dataset • Analyses public opinion on a variety of topics, e.g. the image of the with the historical development of the Net Trust indexes for each European Union, the economic situation, or citizens' main concerns. media and country covered since 2009 is available online. • Published twice a year, the autumn edition contains research on trust in media and other institutions. Net Trust Index = ‘Tend to trust’ – ‘Tend not to trust’ • Each edition is based on approximately 1,000 face-to-face interviews in 33 countries (EU states as well as acceding and candidate countries), respondents aged 15 and over. Reuters Institute Digital News Report • Available at http://ec.europa.eu/COMMFrontOffice/PublicOpinion/ The annual study commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism analyses how news are consumed in a range of countries. The online survey research was conducted by YouGov at the end January/early February 2019 and reflects the online population of each country, comprising 38 markets worldwide, 26 of which in Europe. This report will be updated once the 2020 edition is published. 3 EBU Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2020 KEY FINDINGS The trust gap between High trust in PSM news Press freedom correlates Low perceived pressure broadcast and online during times of crisis with trust in radio and TV on PSM goes along with media persists trust in news vs. PSM NEWS Radio and TV continue to be Scoring as most trusted The higher the level of trust The more citizens perceive the most trusted media news brand in 16 European in a country's radio and TV, PSM in their country to be throughout Europe. Radio is markets, PSM are also the higher press freedom free from political pressure, most trusted in 73% of ranked among the most tends to be in that country. the higher the level of trust European countries trustworthy sources of in the information provided surveyed, TV in another 9%. information on the COVID-19 The strong correlation by national media. crisis in several countries. suggests that in the Independent PSM are a key By contrast, social networks Reflecting usage patterns of European context, citizens' element of a credible news are least trusted in 85% of getting informed about the trust in broadcast media is media landscapes. the countries. The internet coronavirus outbreak, closely connected with a and social networks citizens tend to put more free and independent media continue to receive much trust into TV news coverage landscape. lower trust levels than of the crisis compared to traditional media. radio reporting. 4 EBU Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2020 KEY FINDINGS Social networks are Traditional media receive Trusted news means less Trust is complicated trusted the least more trust than politics concern about misinformation PRESS Social networks are by far EU citizens only trust their In countries with high levels The questions used in trust the least trusted media national army and police of trust in national news, surveys differ considerably, across Europe. In 28 of 33 more than radio. TV and the citizens are less likely to partly explaining countries, social networks written press rank in the perceive false information as contradictory results on are the media that people middle third, slightly less a problem. whether trust in media is trust the least. Only in five trusted than the legal shrinking or on the rise – South Eastern European system or public There is a strong negative and highlighting how countries, other media are administration. correlation between the multidimensional “trust” is. even less trusted. perceived trustworthiness of While social networks are The internet scores just information provided by Investigating on, investing in widely used to get slightly better than national national media and the and renegotiating trust are information about COVID-19, governments and perception of key performance markers for the gap between usage and parliaments, whereas only misinformation as a problem quality media such as PSM. the trust expressed is political parties are less within the country. particularly high. trusted than social networks. 5 EBU Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2020 TRUST IN MEDIA ACROSS EUROPE 6 EBU Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2020 ACROSS EUROPE ACROSS • • TRUST IN MEDIA TRUST SIGNIFICANTLY SIGNIFICANTLY In In Finland, Albania and the Netherlands, only 20% of the population or less do not trust the media. the do trust not less or population of 20% the only Netherlands, the and Albania Finland, media the not do trust of citizens majority the Greece, and Macedonia North Spain, UK, the LEVELS OF VARY EBU Media Intelligence Service Source: EBU based on Standard Standard on based EBU Source: Albania 42% 39% 19% MEDIA IN TRUST Portugal 37% 29% 34% Slovakia 35% 32% 33% High trust Romania 33% 37% 30% 31% 37% 32% – Bulgaria Trust in Media 2020 Eurobarometer Austria 31% 44% 25% Belgium 30% 47% 23% Czech Republic 28% 39% 33% Lithuania 28% 37% 35% Hungary 28% 35% 37% 92. Poland 28% 34% 38% Finland 28% 53% 19% Turkey 28% 25% 47% Medium trust Montenegro 27% 32% 41% Estonia 26% 43% 31% Ireland 26% 42% 32% Croatia 26% 29% 45% (% of population, 2019) Italy 26% 37% 37% Denmark 24% 54% 22% Cyprus 24% 35% 41% Slovenia 23% 31% 46% Netherlands 22% 58% 20% Latvia 21% 49% 30% . Luxembourg 21% 50% 29% Low or no trust EUEU28 28 19% 41% 40% Germany 19% 53% 28% Malta 18% 37% 45% North Macedonia 15% 31% 54% Serbia 15% 38% 47% Greece 14% 32% 54% Sweden 14% 64% 22% Spain 10% 32% 58% France 9% 44% 47% 7 United Kingdom 7% 33% 60% MOST TRUSTED MEDIA (Net Trust Index 2019) RADIO IS THE MOST TRUSTED MEDIUM IN EUROPE Radio TV Written Press Internet Country not included • Radio is the most trusted medium in Europe, scoring highest in 24 out of 33 (73%) of the countries surveyed. • Apart from Portugal, the countries in which radio is not most trusted are located in South Eastern Europe. Source: EBU based on Standard Eurobarometer 92. 8 EBU Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2020 LEAST TRUSTED MEDIA (Net Trust Index 2019) SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE LEAST TRUSTED IN ALMOST ALL OF EUROPE Written Press TV Social Networks Country not included • Social networks are the least trusted media in 28 out of 33 countries surveyed (85%). • The exceptions are to be found in South Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey trust the written press the least, while Greek citizens have least trust in TV.