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Press Releases
World Service poll: World divided on Press Freedom
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World opinion is divided on the importance of press freedom, suggests a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service poll of 11,344 people across 14 countries.
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While an average of 56% across all countries think that freedom of the press is very important to ensure a free society, 40% believe that social harmony and peace are more important, even if it means controlling what is reported for the greater good.
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Fifty-six per cent of people in the 14 countries polled think the press and media in their country is free to report the news accurately without bias. Only 19% say there is little or no media freedom in their country.
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Private and publicly-funded news organisations receive similar ratings from the public when it comes to reporting the news honestly and accurately. Thirty-nine per cent of people across all countries say publicly-funded news agencies are doing a good job, while 43% say the same for private news organisations.
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However, in some countries the poll shows concern over the ownership of private media. Strong majorities in Brazil (80%), Mexico (76%), USA (74%), and Great Britain (71%) believe that the concentration of media ownership in fewer hands is a concern because owners' political views emerge in reporting.
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Importance of Press Freedom vs Performance of News Organisations
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Of the countries where press freedom is most highly valued, Western developed countries are more critical of how honestly and accurately the news is reported, including Germany (28% average rating for good performance of public and private media), Great Britain (29%), and the USA (29%) whereas Venezuela (44%), South Africa (49%), Nigeria (58%), and Kenya (61%) rate the media performance more positively.
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In countries where social stability is more highly valued, those surveyed in India (61% good performance) and the UAE (52%) believe the news is being reported honestly, contrasting with a more negative view of press performance in Russia (27%), Mexico (28%), Brazil (31%) and Singapore (37%). (See diagram below).
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The survey was conducted for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service by the international polling firms GlobeScan and Synovate. Fieldwork took place between 1 October and 21 November 2007.
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GlobeScan President Doug Miller comments: "While people generally support a free media, the Western view of the necessity of a free press to ensure a fair society is not universally shared across all regions of the world."
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The poll was commissioned as part of a season of programmes to celebrate ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service's 75th Anniversary.
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A total of 11,344 citizens in Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Great Britain, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Venezuela were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone between 1 October and 21 November 2007.
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Polling was conducted for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service by the international polling firms GlobeScan and Synovate and their research partners in each country. In six of the 14 countries, the sample was limited to major urban areas. The margin of error per country ranges from +/-2.5 to 4.4 percent.
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Notes to Editors
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Great Britain
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The poll suggests while Britons believe strongly in media freedom, they are critical of the accuracy of news reporting by both publicly and privately-funded organisations.
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Along with the United States and Germany, Britain is a strong advocate of press freedom. Sixty-seven per cent of Britons agree that freedom of the press is more important than stability, compared with 56% who share this view globally.
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Perceptions of the degree of media freedom that exists in Britain are similar to those expressed in Germany, but not as negative as the Americans'. Britons tend to be fairly neutral on the freedom that the media has "to report the news accurately, truthfully and without undue bias", with 30% (versus 22% globally) opting for a rating midway between free and not free.
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Britons' views on the performance of private news organisations are not positive – 28% give a "good" performance rating compared with 43% globally. The largest group of respondents (44%) gives an average performance rating in terms of honest and accurate news reporting.
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There is virtually no difference between perceptions of public and private media – publicly-funded news organisations are rated positively by 29% of respondents. Media ownership is considered a major issue by 71% of Britons, above the global average of 59%.
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The majority of Britons agree with having a say in news reporting decisions – 63% (56% globally) think is it important "that people like me have a say in what gets reported in the news", while 35% (39% globally) prefer to leave such decisions to news organisations.
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The
detailed findings document has detailed findings, visual charts of the findings and country summaries.
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³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service Press Office
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