Perceptions of the Media

The survey asked people whether they agreed or disagreed with a wide range of statements about how they access the news and information they want as well as their perceptions of the media's performance on a range of trust-related factors. The exact wording of these statements is available in the methodology section.

The findings across the 10 countries paint a varied picture of both threats and opportunities for those involved in the news media:

- Fully seven in ten (72%) say they follow the news closely every day; even among the 18-24 age group 67 percent say this

- People are equally split on whether they get the news they want from mainstream media, with fully 46 percent saying they do not

- Six in ten (59%) agree that the media covers too many bad news stories, especially Brazilians (80%), South Koreans (69%) Americans (68%), and Britons (63%)

- One in two (52%) agree the media is too focused on Western values and concerns, especially in Brazil (67%), South Korea (66%) and Egypt (61%)

- More people disagree (46%) than agree (42%) that "journalists are able to report the news freely, without interference from owners," especially in South Korea (63% disagree) and Germany (59%)

- Fully 77 percent of people agree that they prefer to check several sources of news rather than relying on just one. This is particularly true of Internet users.

Analysis of the survey findings reveals that the perceptions that most drive people's overall trust in the media relate to basic journalistic standards such as accurate reporting and reporting all sides of stories.
While the media's performance in accurately reporting the news is widely acknowledged by an average of 65 percent of people across the 10 countries, only half the people in the US (46%), Brazil (45%), and the UK (43%) agree that this basic underpinning of journalism is delivered by the news media.

A slim majority (54%) across the 10 countries agrees that the media reports all sides of a story. Importantly, however, less than one in three American (29%) and UK citizens (32%) agree with this.