trust in media 2016 › media › files › file_352_1042.pdf · eurobarometer survey. it gives an...

TRUST IN MEDIA 2016MEDIA INTELLIGENCE SERVICE MARCH 2016

PUBLIC: This document is intended for public distribution

2

CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

METHODOLOGY

TRUST IN MEDIA

EUROPE AND THE EU

RADIO

TV

WRITTEN PRESS

INTERNET

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS

KEY FINDINGS

3

3

4

4

8

12

16

20

24

27

METHODOLOGY

Eurobarometer

This report is based on the data published in the 84th

Eurobarometer survey. It gives an idea of European citizens’

perception of the trustworthiness of several types of media,

and includes EU Member States as well as acceding and

candidate countries. The question asked in the Eurobarometer

survey is:

‘I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you

have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following

media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust or

tend not to trust it.’

Respondents also have the option to answer ‘do not know’. The

types of media included are television, radio, the written press,

the Internet, and since 2014, also online social networks.

Net Trust Index

A net trust index was developed by the EBU-MIS in order to

get a clearer idea on the level of trust each country’s citizens

have in the different types of media. The net trust index is

defined as the difference between the percentage of the

population who answered 'tend to trust' and 'tend not to trust‘

to the survey question, not taking into account ‘do not know’

replies:

Net Trust Index = ‘Tend to trust’ – ‘Tend not to trust’

The net trust index makes it possible to rank the countries

according to their level of trust in media, and also to compare

the levels of trust across different types of media. It can be a

positive value, meaning that on the whole, citizens tend to trust

the given medium, or a negative value, which means that

generally, citizens tend not to trust it.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

In the age of media abundance, trust is an important factor in

the relationship between any kind of media and their audience.

Measuring trust enables media organizations to track citizens'

perception of the organization and its output. This is essential

for audience building, and a useful element of shaping

Members' strategic planning.

What is trust?

• Trust is an individual’s perception of the reliability of other

individuals and institutions

• Trust is the result of socio-economic conditions and

education, specific events and long-standing perceptions

• Media organizations can work to increase trust on a mid- and

long-term basis by championing credibility and authenticity

• However, the results will not only be related to their

performance and values but also to external factors beyond

the organizations’ control, e.g. cultural or economic aspects

• In organizations with substantial societal relevance, such as

PSM, trust is also related to social responsibility

How is it measured?

There are several annual studies that measure the level of trust

in media, such as the Edelman Trust Barometer or the World

Values Survey. For this report the results of the Eurobarometer

were used, which is:

• Public opinion survey by the European Commission, currently

conducted by TNS

• Provides public opinion analysis on a variety of topics, e.g. the

image of the European Union, the economic situation, or the main

concerns of citizens

• Published twice a year, the autumn edition contains research on

trust in media and other institutions

• Each edition is based on approximately 1 000 face-to-face

interviews per country, respondents aged 15 years and over

• Available at http://ec.europa.eu/COMMFrontOffice/PublicOpinion/

Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2016 3

http://ec.europa.eu/COMMFrontOffice/PublicOpinion/

MOST TRUSTED MEDIA IN EUROPE (2015)

Source: EBU based on Eurobarometer 84

Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2016 4

Internet

Radio

TV

• Radio is the most trusted medium in Europe (in 20 out of 33 countries, 61% of the countries

surveyed)

• TV is generally the most trusted in south-eastern Europe

NEWS

TRUST IN MEDIA ACROSS THE EU (% of population, 2015)


Media Intelligence Service – Trust in Media 2016

55

36

4748 5043 45

35

55

20

Tend to trust

Tend not to trust

TVRadio Written press Internet Social networks

5

• Radio is the most trusted by EU citizens: 55% of the population trust it

• More people tend not to trust the written press, the Internet, and online social networks

Note: survey results on EU level represent a weighted average across the 28 EU Member States, applying official population figures provided by EUROSTAT.

Radio



NET TRUST IN MEDIA ON EU LEVEL

-7-10 1

-35 19


6



EVOLUTION OF THE NET TRUST INDEX IN THE EU2011 – 2015

• Following a substantial recovery last year, trust decreased in 2015 across all media

• TV and radio lost several points compared to 2014, while the written press, the Internet, and online

social networks only experienced a slight decline

• On a 5-year basis, radio in the EU lost 3 points, while trust in TV decreased by 10 points. However, TV

and radio still have a positive net trust index, as opposed to non-broadcast media

• Trust in the written press increased by 1 point compared to five years ago, while trust in the Internet

decreased by 8 points, with both remaining in the negative throughout the past 5 years


7

Radio TV InternetWritten press Social networks

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

No data

available

9



TRUST IN RADIO (2015)

• People tend to trust radio in 24 out of the 33 countries surveyed (73%)

• In south-eastern Europe citizens tend not to trust radio

Tend not to trust

Tend to trust

7466

57

46 4337 36 35 34

30 28 28 28 26 2622 19 17 16 13 11 11

5 4 3

-3-8

-12 -13 -13 -15

-24-28

-44-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Sw

ed

en

Fin

lan

d

Den

mark

Esto

nia

Neth

erl

an

ds

Po

rtu

gal

Slo

vakia

Po

lan

d

Irela

nd

Belg

ium

Czech

Rep

ub

lic

Latv

ia

Lit

hu

an

ia

Germ

an

y

Au

str

ia

Ro

man

ia

EU

28

Lu

xem

bo

urg

Alb

an

ia

Fra

nce

Italy

Un

ited

Kin

gd

om

Bu

lgari

a

Sp

ain

Cro

ati

a

Malt

a

Hu

ng

ary

Cyp

rus

Slo

ven

ia

Mo

nte

neg

ro

Serb

ia

Gre

ece

FY

R M

aced

on

ia

Tu

rkey

10



NET TRUST INDEX - RADIO (2014-2015)

• Nordic countries achieve the highest levels of trust in radio

• Trust in radio fell in 24 out of the 33 observed countries compared to last year, most remarkably

in Slovenia (-20 points), Montenegro (-17), Luxembourg (-16) and Germany (-14)

EU

28

11

Source: EBU based on Eurobarometer 84. Note: historical data not available for Albania and Serbia.


EVOLUTION OF TRUST - RADIO (2011 - 2015)

• Most of the countries showed a negative 5-year evolution of trust in radio

• On the EU level, trust in radio decreased by 3 points since 2011

• It is quite unlikely to recover trust once it is lost; only Malta and Greece managed to do it

CY ME SI

CZAT

SK

BG

TR

FR

BEDE

LU

MK

HU

ES

NL

GBEU28RO

EE

GR

IE

LVLT

FI

DK

HR

MT

SE

PL

IT

PT

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

High Trust / Negative Evolution

Low Trust / Negative Evolution

High Trust / Positive Evolution

Low Trust / Positive Evolution

NET

TRU

ST IN

DEX

20

15

EVOLUTION OF NET TRUST INDEX (2011-2015)*Country codes listed in appendix

13



TRUST IN TV (2015)

• People tend to trust TV in 21 out of the 33 countries surveyed (64%)

• Southern European countries show the lowest degree of trust in TV

• In Luxembourg, ‘trust’ and ‘not-trust’ levels were equal in 2015

Tend not to trust

Tend to trust

57 5449 46 45

37

27 2420 20 19 18 18 17 16 16 14 12

6 5 2 1 0

-1 -2-9 -10 -12

-18 -19 -21-28

-35

-60

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

Fin

lan

d

Sw

ed

en

Den

mark

Esto

nia

Alb

an

ia

Po

rtu

gal

Slo

vakia

Latv

ia

Neth

erl

an

ds

Au

str

ia

Lit

hu

an

ia

Belg

ium

Po

lan

d

Bu

lgari

a

Czech

Rep

ub

lic

Irela

nd

Germ

an

y

Ro

man

ia

Malt

a

Cro

ati

a

Un

ited

Kin

gd

om

EU

28

Lu

xem

bo

urg

Hu

ng

ary

Italy

Mo

nte

neg

ro

FY

R M

aced

on

ia

Tu

rkey

Serb

ia

Cyp

rus

Slo

ven

ia

Fra

nce

Sp

ain

Gre

ece

14



NET TRUST INDEX - TV (2014-2015)

• As is the case with radio, Nordic countries achieve the highest levels of trust in TV

• South-eastern European countries show the biggest decrease in trust in TV (Montenegro,

Slovenia and Serbia)E

U 2

8

15



EVOLUTION OF TRUST - TV (2011 - 2015)

• Countries with the highest trust index also tend to have a more positive evolution

• 21 out of 33 countries had a negative 5-year evolution of trust in TV, led by Montenegro (-37

points), Cyprus (-32) and Bulgaria (-32)

• On the EU level, trust in TV dropped by 10 points compared to 2011

EU28

BEBG

CZ

DK

DE

EE

IE

GR

ESFR

HR

IT

CY

LVLT

LU

HU

MT

NLAT PL

PT

RO

SI

SK

FI SE

GB

TRMKME

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40





NET

TRU

ST IN

DEX

20

15


17



TRUST IN WRITTEN PRESS (2015)

• People tend to trust the written press in only 13 out of the 33 countries surveyed (39%)

• The press is more trusted in the Nordic and Benelux countries, but the situation is rather mixed

within regions

Tend not to trust

Tend to trust

32 31 2924 22

19

12 12 12 118

4 2

-1 -2 -2 -3-6 -7 -9 -9

-13 -13 -14-19 -20 -22

-27 -28 -30 -32 -33-39

-51-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

Fin

lan

d

Neth

erl

an

ds

Alb

an

ia

Po

rtu

gal

Den

mark

Esto

nia

Belg

ium

Lu

xem

bo

urg

Sw

ed

en

Po

lan

d

Slo

vakia

Lit

hu

an

ia

Fra

nce

Au

str

ia

Czech

Rep

ub

lic

Italy

Germ

an

y

Ro

man

ia

EU

28

Irela

nd

Latv

ia

Cro

ati

a

Tu

rkey

Malt

a

Sp

ain

Bu

lgari

a

Mo

nte

neg

ro

Hu

ng

ary

Cyp

rus

Slo

ven

ia

FY

R M

aced

on

ia

Gre

ece

Serb

ia

Un

ited

Kin

gd

om

18



NET TRUST INDEX - WRITTEN PRESS (2014-2015)

• In 2015, net trust in the written press in the EU decreased by 1 point

• However, 2015 also saw a sharp increase of trust in some southern European countries such as

Turkey (+26 points), Albania (+23) and Croatia (+16)

EU

28

19



EVOLUTION OF TRUST - WRITTEN PRESS (2011 - 2015)

• 15 out of 33 countries showed a positive evolution of trust in the written press

• On the EU level, trust in the written press increased by 1 point since 2011

• The most substantial declines were experienced by Montenegro (-41 points), Cyprus (-28) and

Austria (-24)

EU28

BE

BG

CZ

DK

DE

EE

IE

GR

ES

FR

HR

IT

CY

LV

LT

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

RO

SI

SK

FI

SE

GB

TR

MK

ME

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40





NET

TRU

ST IN

DEX

20

15


21



TRUST IN INTERNET (2015)

• People tend to trust the Internet in only 12 out of the 33 countries surveyed (36%)

• The Internet is trusted mostly in eastern European countries

Tend not to trust

Tend to trust

22 21 2017 16

14 139 9

4 31 0 0

-2 -3 -3 -3-5 -5 -6 -7

-9 -10 -11

-16-20 -20

-23-25 -25

-27-31

-44

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

Po

lan

d

Alb

an

ia

Lit

hu

an

ia

Esto

nia

Slo

vakia

Czech

Rep

ub

lic

Bu

lgari

a

Italy

Ro

man

ia

Serb

ia

Mo

nte

neg

ro

Gre

ece

Den

mark

Cro

ati

a

Neth

erl

an

ds

Latv

ia

Po

rtu

gal

FY

R M

aced

on

ia

Malt

a

Fin

lan

d

Cyp

rus

Tu

rkey

Slo

ven

ia

EU

28

Hu

ng

ary

Au

str

ia

Germ

an

y

Sp

ain

Lu

xem

bo

urg

Belg

ium

Irela

nd

Fra

nce

Un

ited

Kin

gd

om

Sw

ed

en

22



NET TRUST INDEX - INTERNET (2014-2015)

• In 2015, trust in the Internet decreased by 2 points in the EU. Only 12 countries out of 33 trusted

the Internet, compared to 20 in the year before

• The biggest drops were measured in Finland (-24 points) and Slovenia (-19)

EU

28

23



EVOLUTION OF TRUST - INTERNET (2011 - 2015)

• In the past 5 years, trust in the Internet increased in only 7 countries

• The largest increase was achieved in Turkey (+24 points), although the net trust index is still

negative

• On the EU level, trust in the Internet decreased by 8 points since 2011

EU28

BE

BG

CZ

DK

DE

EE

IE

GR

ES

FR

HRIT

CY

LV

LT

LU

HU

MTNL

AT

PL

PT

RO

SI

SK

FI

SE

GB

TRMK

ME

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40





NET

TRU

ST IN

DEX

20

15


25



TRUST IN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS (2015)

• Online social networks are only trusted in Albania

• In Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, ‘trust’ and ‘not-trust’ levels were equal amongst the population in

2015

Tend not to trust

Tend to trust

40 0 0

-14 -14-17 -17 -17 -18 -18 -18 -19 -20 -20 -21 -21

-25-27 -28

-34 -35 -36 -36-38

-42-44 -45

-49-53

-56 -57-59

-69

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

Alb

an

ia

Bu

lgari

a

Po

lan

d

Ro

man

ia

Esto

nia

Slo

vakia

Czech

Rep

ub

lic

Lit

hu

an

ia

Mo

nte

neg

ro

Cyp

rus

Tu

rkey

FY

R M

aced

on

ia

Gre

ece

Cro

ati

a

Latv

ia

Italy

Serb

ia

Po

rtu

gal

Malt

a

Hu

ng

ary

Au

str

ia

EU

28

Den

mark

Sp

ain

Slo

ven

ia

Fin

lan

d

Germ

an

y

Neth

erl

an

ds

Irela

nd

Belg

ium

Fra

nce

Un

ited

Kin

gd

om

Lu

xem

bo

urg

Sw

ed

en

26



NET TRUST INDEX - ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS(2014-2015)

• Eastern countries tend to trust online social networks more, although the net trust index is still

in the negative for 29 out of the 33 countries (88%)

• The largest increases compared to last year were observed in Turkey (+26 points) and Romania

(+15)E

U 2

8

2727

Overall, broadcast media (radio and TV) are still the

most trusted as opposed to the written press and

online media. More precisely, radio is the absolute

winner: it is the most trusted medium in 20 countries,

while TV is the most trusted in 13 of them.

KEY FINDINGS

From the 28 EU member states Cyprus, Hungary, and

Slovenia scored a negative trust index across all five

measured media sectors. Acceding and candidate

countries typically experienced lower levels of trust in

media, except for Albania, which enjoys one of the

highest levels of trust in media overall.

While the perception of online social networks has got

slightly better, they are still the least trusted type of

media in 15 countries. The written press is not

perceived to be much more trustworthy: in 14 countries

it was regarded as the least trusted.



Compared to last year’s results, in 2015 an overall

decrease of trust in media can be observed. There are

slightly less countries with a positive net trust index

when it comes to radio, TV, and the written press.

Moreover, the Internet was regarded as trustworthy

only in 12 countries this year, compared to 20 in 2014.

TRUST EU vs non-EU

NEWS

28



THREE CLUSTERS OF TRUST

• Three clusters of media types can be identified according to the level of trust in them across

countries/regions: broadcast, written press, and online media.

Nordics + Estonia

Southeast Europe

Finland, Netherlands,

Albania, Portugal

Eastern Europe

Southeast Europe +

United Kingdom

France, Belgium, Ireland,

Sweden, United Kingdom

Tend to

trust

Tend not

to trust

29

APPENDIX: COUNTRY CODES

AL - Albania

AT - Austria

BE - Belgium

BG - Bulgaria

CY - Cyprus

CZ - Czech Republic

DE - Germany

DK - Denmark

EE - Estonia

ES - Spain

FI - Finland

FR - France

GB - United Kingdom

GR - Greece

HR - Croatia

HU - Hungary

IE - Ireland

IT - Italy

LT - Lithuania

LU - Luxembourg

LV - Latvia

ME - Montenegro

MK - FYR Macedonia

MT - Malta

NL - Netherlands

PL - Poland

PT - Portugal

RO - Romania

RS - Serbia

SE - Sweden

SI - Slovenia

SK - Slovakia

TR - Turkey

29

30

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31

PSM CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY

(Open access)

PSM IN THE 21ST CENTURY:

WHAT VALUE AND WHICH VALUES?

(Open access)

Find more publications on the Media Intelligence Portal (Members-only): www.ebu.ch/mis

FURTHER MEDIA INTELLIGENCE PUBLICATIONS

www3.ebu.ch/publications/public-service-media-contributio

http://www3.ebu.ch/publications/psm-in-the-21st-century






http://www.ebu.ch/mis

32

This report has been produced by the Media Intelligence Service (MIS) at the European

Broadcasting Union.

The EBU’s Media Intelligence Service provides Member broadcasting organizations with the

latest market data, research and analysis needed to plan their future strategies and stay ahead of

the game.

Our experts cover a broad range of topics, including TV and radio trends, new media

developments, market structure and concentration, funding and public policy issues.

Contact

www.ebu.ch/mis

[email protected]

This publication is available to download at: www3.ebu.ch/publications

DISCLAIMER:

Please note that the EBU is not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in data provided by third parties.

PUBLICATION:

March 2016

DISTRIBUTION:

This publication is intended for public distribution. The information may be freely quoted if the source is

clearly stated.

MEDIA INTELLIGENCE SERVICE

Ver.1


http://www.ebu.ch/mis

mailto:[email protected]

www3.ebu.ch/publications

trust in media 2016 › media › files › file_352_1042.pdf · eurobarometer survey. it gives an...

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