attitudes towards the impartiality of television news

Attitudes towards the impartiality of

television news Summary of findings

July 2014

Annex 2

2

Opinion on the impartiality of TV news sources

According to results from Ofcom’s Media Tracker, the perception of impartiality in television news among UK

adults has declined since 2010, with the rate of decline greatest between 2010 and 2011. In total, perception of

the impartiality of ‘television overall’ has dropped by nine percentage points since 2010, a decline that is also

evident across individual figures for each of the public service broadcasters (PSBs) and Sky News.

The following slides set out the results from Ofcom’s Media Tracker, together with data from other Ofcom research

on attitudes towards news.

66% 68%

51% 50% 50% 44%

59% 61%

44% 46% 42% 43%

56% 57%

44% 44% 38% 37%

57% 56%

40% 41% 36% 37%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Televisionoverall

The BBC ITV Channel 4/S4C Channel 5 Sky News

2010 2011 2012 2013

% saying impartial (= a score of 1 or 2 out of 5)

Perception of impartiality in television news has

decreased significantly since 2010 and is not restricted

to any individual broadcaster

3

Source: Ofcom Media Tracker 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.

Base: Base: All respondents 2013 (1,893), 2012 (1,854), 2011 (1,754), 2010 (2141). The BBC = BBC One, BBC Two, BBC News.

Q - Using a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is very impartial and 5 is very biased, how impartial do you think each of the following news sources is?

Indicates a significant change between 2010 and 2013

Indicates a significant change yoy between 2012 and 2013

The direction of the arrow indicates whether the change is

an increase or decrease


Base: Base: All respondents 2013 (1,893), 2012 (1,854), 2011 (1,754), 2010 (2141).


66% 57%

25% 30%

19% 17%

59% 52%

24% 29%

20% 18%

56% 49%

23% 28%

19% 15%

57% 49%

21% 28%

18% 15%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Television Radio Newspapers Websites;Broadcasters

Websites:Newspapers

Websites: Other

2010 2011 2012 2013

% saying impartial (= a score of 1 or 2 out of 5)

4

Perception of impartiality in radio news and

newspapers has also decreased significantly since

2010 Indicates a significant change between 2010 and 2013




5

66% 59% 56% 57%

68% 61%

57% 56% 51%

44% 44% 40%

50% 46% 44% 41% 45% 42%

38% 36% 44% 43%

37% 37%

19% 26%

27% 24%

17% 23%

25% 24%

18%

22% 23% 21%

22% 27% 28% 26%

21% 28% 28%

25% 19% 23%

24% 21%

10% 12% 13% 13%

10% 13% 13%

13%

7% 9% 10%

10%

8% 10% 13%

12% 7%

10% 12%

12% 9% 11%

13% 12%

5% 3% 4% 6% 5% 3% 5% 7%

24% 25% 24% 28%

21% 17% 15%

21% 26%

20% 21% 28% 28%

24% 26% 30%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013

Don'tKnow

Biased(4-5)

Neutral(3)

Impartial(1-2)

TV as a whole BBC ITV Sky News Channel 4 Channel 5

The proportion of adults opting to answer ‘neutral’

has increased significantly since 2010 % of respondents who rated news impartiality on a scale of 1 – 5 (all adults)








6

61% 55%

51% 44%

64% 55% 56%

51%

67% 61% 59% 59%

75% 68%

59% 65%

69%

55% 58%

62% 63% 60%

56% 60%

21% 27%

27% 30%

18% 27% 27%

29%

18% 27% 24% 23%

15%

18%

28% 20%

18%

32% 28% 24% 22%

24% 29% 21%

10% 12% 17% 13%

12% 16% 13%

14% 11%

11% 13% 13%

7% 11% 11% 13% 11% 11% 11% 9% 11% 13% 12% 15%

8% 7% 6% 12% 6% 1% 4% 7% 4% 1% 4% 5% 3% 2% 3% 3% 2% 2% 3% 4% 3% 3% 4% 4%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013

Don'tKnow

Biased(4-5)

Neutral(3)

Impartial(1-2)

16-24 25-34 35-44 65+ 45-54 55-64

% of respondents who rated news impartiality on a scale of 1 – 5 (all adults)

Each age group has seen a decline in perception

of impartiality








7

69%

59% 56% 58% 63%

59% 57% 55%

17%

25% 26% 23%

21% 27% 29% 26%

10% 13% 14% 14% 10% 11% 11%

11%

3% 3% 4% 4% 6% 3% 4% 8%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013

Don'tKnow

Biased(4-5)

Neutral(3)

Impartial(1-2)

ABC1 Source: Ofcom Media Tracker 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.

Base: All respondents: 2141 (2010), 1755 (2011), 1854 (2012), 1893 (2013).


C2DE

% of respondents who rated news impartiality on a scale of 1 – 5 (all adults)

Each socio-economic group has seen a decline in

perception of impartiality Indicates a significant change between 2010 and 2013




69%

60%

62%

58%

40%

66%

67%

61%

68%

62%

44%

56%

63%

60%

65%

59%

44%

61%

51%

52%

60%

52%

42%

57%

57%

59%

66%

63%

37%

55%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

BBC Television

ITV

Sky News Channel

Channel 4 (TV Channel)

Channel 5

Al Jazeera

Importance Accurate & Reliable Trustworthy Impartial & unbiased Offers range of opinionsSource: Ofcom News Report 2013.

Base: Those who use platform to access the news ‘nowadays’ on each type (varies) – Only includes bases over 50. Note: News sources

are ordered by consumption levels.

Attributes for television news sources among those who use each source Proportion of users who rated the source highly (7-10) (%)

‘Impartial and unbiased’ receive lower ratings when

considered against other attributes for TV news sources

9

Source: Ofcom PSB Tracker 2011, 2012.

Base: Self-reported regular viewers of BBC 1 (1604 in 2011; 1678 in 2012), BBC 2 (642 in 2011; 692 in 2012 ), ITV (1049 in 2011; 1117 in 2012),

Channel 4 (605 in 2011; 639 in 2012), Channel 5 (344 in 2011; 284 in 2012).

Q15B: Rating on the statement : “its news programmes are trustworthy”.

% rating (7/8/9/10) all regular viewers who watch each channel

62%

75% 70%

63% 57%

43%

64%

78% 72%

67% 61%

46%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

PSBs combined BBC 1 BBC 2 ITV Channel 4 Channel 5

2011

2012

Despite a decline in perception of impartiality, Ofcom

research shows that ratings for the delivery of trustworthy

news programmes have increased year on year

“Its news programmes are trustworthy”

TV is the most-used platform for news…

10

7%

4%

6%

11%

14%

25%

35%

40%

78%

None of these / Don’t follow news

Interactive TV, Ceefax, TV apps

Magazines

Word of mouth

Internet or apps on a mobile

Internet or apps on computer

Radio

Newspapers

Television

Platform used for news ‘nowadays’

Changes in perception of impartiality take place within the context of shifts in news consumption by platform.

Ofcom’s News Report research shows that television is by far the most-used platform for news consumption,

with 78% of all adults using it for this purpose, followed by newspapers (40%) and radio (35%). A quarter

(26%) of those with smartphones use the internet or apps on their mobile phone for news.

26% among

those with a

smartphone

The average number of

platforms used nowadays

for news is 2.1

Source: Ofcom News Report 2013.

Base: All adults 16+ (2862).

Q3a) Which of the following do you use for news nowadays?

11

44%

25%

34%

58%

32%

35%

40%

78%

Internet (any device)

Radio

Newspapers

Television

All adults

16-24s

Source: Ofcom News Report 2013.

Base: All adults 16+ (2862).

Q3a) Which of the following do you use for news nowadays?

…but younger people are more likely to use the

internet for news

12

Ofcom’s Media Tracker research shows that perception of impartiality in television news, among all

adults, has declined significantly since 2010. Although the rate of decline was greatest between 2010 and

2011, it has continued and is present across TV as a whole, as well as among each of the five broadcasters

that respondents were asked about.

There does not appear to be one particular age or socio-economic group that is driving the decline.

Although the largest decline can be seen among 16-24s, the decrease is apparent across all age groups.

The declining perception of impartiality is not targeted at, or restricted to, any individual broadcaster.

The decrease is apparent across all five of the broadcasters that respondents were asked about.

Summary of findings

13

The rate of increase in the perception of bias among UK adults does not equate to the rate of decrease

in impartiality. Although ratings of bias have significantly increased since 2010 for TV as a whole and across

each of the broadcasters asked about individually, bias ratings remain small in proportion to impartial and

neutral ratings. The rate of increase in bias is less than both the increase for neutrality and the rate of

decrease for impartiality.

The proportion of all adults opting to answer ‘neutral’ when asked about their perceptions of news

impartiality has increased significantly since 2010. Although there has been a decline in neutrality ratings

among older age groups (45-54s, 55-64s and over-65s) year on year since 2012, overall neutrality ratings

have increased since 2010.This increase in respondents rating sources as neutral has been concurrent with

the decrease in respondents rating news sources as impartial.

Ofcom’s News Report research (2013) shows that impartiality and bias are rated lower by adults when

considered against other attributes of TV news sources. When respondents are asked to rate the

attributes of TV broadcasters’ news output, they award the highest ratings to importance and accuracy and

reliability. There is no apparent trend between ratings awarded by users for trust, accuracy and reliability and

for impartiality. This may reflect the different ways in which viewers perceive these attributes; for example,

although a source may not be seen to be particularly impartial, the viewer may perceive it to be trustworthy:

they can rely on that the source to deliver news from a particular point of view or to provide an opinion.

Summary of findings

14

According to Ofcom’s PSB Tracker research, adults still trust television news. Ratings for the

delivery of trustworthy news programmes by each PSB channel, captured by the PSB Tracker research,

have increased year on year. Although this does not reflect the decline in impartiality seen in the Media

Tracker research, it may demonstrate that adults' concept of trust is focused around trusting a given news

source to deliver a particular opinion to them, regardless of whether they consider that opinion to be

impartial or biased.

The decline in perception of impartiality, found across all TV broadcasters and among all age

groups, in Ofcom’s Media Tracker research raises questions as to what has driven this shift in

opinion, particularly since 2010. A potential cause of the decline could be that the emergence of online

news is changing traditional habits of news consumption. Slides 10 and 11 highlight that the internet is

increasingly becoming a major platform for news consumption. The internet provides a wider range of

opinion than television can deliver, and as a result perceptions of TV news may be affected. The internet

allows news and opinion to be distributed and consumed immediately, and internet-connected mobile

devices allow consumption of news ‘on-the-go’, so the way news is presented on television may seem

‘outdated’ to online news consumers.

Other potential factors include: adults becoming more media-literate and more aware of alternative news

sources available to them; individuals’ perceptions of impartiality and bias changing in relation to news

and opinion on other platforms; the content of broadcaster news programmes changing over time; or

events such as the Leveson Inquiry influencing people’s views of the media as a whole.

Summary of findings

attitudes towards the impartiality of television news

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