Hansard Society finds that Public satisfaction with media reporting of ...

Hansard Society finds that Public satisfaction with media reporting of politics increases: But tabloids do little to advance political engagement of their?readers

Posted by danjackson on November 28, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

But tabloids do little to advance political engagement of their readers

From?http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blogs/press_releases/archive/2012/07/13/public-satisfaction-with-media-reporting-of-politics-increases-july-13.aspx

Audit of Political Engagement 9, Part Two?finds that the coverage of politics in all media, but the tabloid media in particular, contributes to a sense of fatalism among citizens about their capacity to influence the political process. Broadsheet readers, even controlling for demographic differences, are more likely to be politically engaged and feel they can exercise influence in the political process. But there is little evidence that tabloid newspapers help stimulate the political engagement of their readers, relative even to those who read no newspaper at all (data below in editors notes).

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At the Leveson Inquiry, the views of leading politicians, journalist, academics and celebrities are being heard. The Audit explores what the public think about the relationship between politics and the media.

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The research shows:

• 63% of the public (and 70% of tabloid readers) say tabloids ?look for any excuse to tarnish the name of politicians??? compared to 20% for broadsheets, 21% for TV programmes and 12% for radio programmes

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• 63% of the public (and 71% of tabloid readers) say tabloids ?focus on negative stories about politics and politicians? ? compared to 21% for broadsheets, 29% for TV programmes and 14% for radio programmes

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• 68% of the public (and 74% of tabloid readers) say tabloids ?are more interested in getting a good story than telling the truth? ? compared to 23% for broadsheets, 26% for TV programmes and 14% for radio programmes

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When it comes to positive attributes, the research shows that TV programmes were judged to be ahead of the other forms of media. But the public do not give TV a ringing endorsement: only four or five in 10 people agree that it is fair in its representation of politics and helps the public learn about what is happening in politics.

• 38% of the public say TV programmes ?do a good job of keeping politicians accountable for their conduct? ? compared to 34% for broadsheets, 29% for tabloids and 19% for radio programmes

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• 41% of the public say TV programmes ?are generally fair in their representation of politicians? ? compared to 27% for broadsheets, 15% for tabloids and 20% for radio programmes

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• 55% of the public say TV programmes ?help the public to learn about what is happening in politics? ? compared to 37% for broadsheets, 25% for tabloids and 26% for radio programmes

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Previous Audit research has consistently revealed that most citizens are observers of, rather than active participants in, the political process and the media is the principal conduit by which they conduct that observation of politics. Audit 9 research shows that television is overwhelmingly the most common channel of communication (75%) for political news and information ? with tabloids (27%), radio (26%), news websites (20%), broadsheets (16%) and social media (6%) a long way behind.

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Throughout the nine-year annual Audit lifecycle, the media is the institution that the British public consistently believes has the most impact on their lives. This year?s Audit explores what kind of influence the public believe the media actually has on politics, the electorate and those they elect to office:

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• 74% believe the media influences how people vote
• 60% believe the media influences the topics politicians debate in Parliament
• 54% believe the media influences the decisions politicians make

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Dr Ruth Fox, Director of Research at the Hansard Society and joint author of?Audit of Political Engagement 9, Part Two, commented:

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?The media plays a vital role in our democracy, providing citizens with access to and information about politics. Newspapers typically claim a right to freedom from regulation in the interests of democracy. But these findings suggest that the media ? particularly the tabloids ? do not greatly benefit our democracy from the perspective of nourishing political engagement.

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Given the influence that the public thinks the media has, and the demonstrable link between readership and political engagement, the media ought to bear some responsibility for the consequences of its coverage of the democratic process and the willingness of citizens to engage in it. That power and influence should be balanced by some sort of independent, public interest, regulatory framework ? supported by a more effective sanctions regime ? which recognises and is designed to stimulate the responsibilities of the press alongside its rights within our democracy.?

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Source: http://psamediaandpoliticsgroup.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/hansard-society-finds-that-public-satisfaction-with-media-reporting-of-politics-increases-but-tabloids-do-little-to-advance-political-engagement-of-their-readers/

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