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  • Feb, 2013

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    Trust in information

    Q. How much trust do you have in the following for information on major public issues like immigration, climate change or the economy?

     

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    Not much trust

    No trust at all

    Don’t know

    Don’t use

    What I see on TV news and current affairs

    5%

    50%

    30%

    11%

    3%

    1%

    What I hear on radio news and current affairs

    5%

    51%

    30%

    8%

    3%

    4%

    What I hear on radio talkback

    5%

    35%

    31%

    17%

    3%

    9%

    What I read in newspapers or online news sites

    5%

    51%

    32%

    8%

    2%

    2%

    What politicians say

    1%

    12%

    39%

    43%

    3%

    2%

    What I see online on blogs and social media

    2%

    20%

    39%

    22%

    5%

    11%

    What I hear from friends and family

    10%

    53%

    26%

    6%

    5%

    1%

    What I hear in my workplace

    3%

    37%

    34%

    10%

    4%

    11%

    What I learn from my own research

    35%

    50%

    6%

    2%

    2%

    4%

     

     

    Total

    lot/some of trust

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    What I see on TV news and current affairs

    55%

    54%

    59%

    40%

    What I hear on radio news and current affairs

    56%

    53%

    61%

    34%

    What I hear on radio talkback

    40%

    34%

    46%

    26%

    What I read in newspapers or online news sites

    56%

    59%

    58%

    48%

    What politicians say

    13%

    21%

    8%

    14%

    What I see online on blogs and social media

    22%

    23%

    23%

    24%

    What I hear from friends and family

    63%

    58%

    66%

    63%

    What I hear in my workplace

    40%

    39%

    43%

    42%

    What I learn from my own research

    85%

    86%

    86%

    83%

    85% have a lot or some trust in what they learn from their own research, 63% in what they hear from friends and family, 56% in newspapers and radio and 55% in TV news and current affairs. Only 13% have a lot or some trust in what they hear from politicians and 22% have a lot/some trust in blogs and social media.

    Labor voters tend to have a little more trust in newspapers while Liberal/National voters have a little more trust in radio and TV news and current affairs. Liberal/National voters also have above-average trust in radio talkback.

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