Summary Report. General Public Survey

Transcription

1 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o Innobarometer on Clusters Flash Eurobarometer European Commission Audio Visual Communication Summary Report General Public Survey Fieldwork: 1-27 February, 2007 Report: March, 2007 Flash Eurobarometer 1 The Gallup Organization This survey was requested by Directorate General Enterprise and Industry E/1: Entrepreneurship, and coordinated by Directorate General Press and Communication This document does not represent the views of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of Analytical the authors. Report, page 1

2 Flash EB Series #1 Conducted by The Gallup Organization Hungary/Europe upon the request of the European Commission Directorate General Communication Survey organised and managed by the Eurobarometer Team of the European Commission (Directorate-General Communication) This document does not represent the views of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors. THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION

3 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy Table of contents Table of contents... Main findings... Introduction... Access to high-speed Internet... Access to cable and satellite TV... 7 Television viewing habits... Preferred TV programmes Awareness of national and international channels Interest in the news... 1 The appeal of politics... 1 Interest in EU-related news and information... 1 Attitudes to towards the way that news is presented... 1 What do people want to know about the EU? Levels of interest in political and social affairs, and the EU... 1 Analytical Report, page

4 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The Gallup Organization Main findings Within the EU Within EU Member States, there are divides, both north-south and east-west. These preferences and viewing habits depend not only on taste and culture but also on the available infrastructure. EU Member States Northern EU1 Southern EU1 Eastern Member countries countries plus Cyprus States and Malta Widespread access to highspeed Yes Four Member States NMS12 average is % Internet below 0% Good availability of cable Yes No Yes and satellite TV Awareness of international Good Less aware Good news channels Satisfaction with media and Generally Less satisfied Less satisfied information received satisfied Time watching TV Generally low Average High Time spent surfing news channels Highest Low Low As for the types of information that EU citizens would most like to receive, there was interest in all areas (such as EU citizens rights, the Union s health & social policies, the role of the EU in the world and the pros & cons of enlargement). For all Member States, there were interest rates in all subjects above 0%. The least likely groups to request such information were the older citizens (those over ) and those who left school before the age of 1. US and EU comparisons There are vastly differing views in the EU and the US about political programmes on TV: American viewers are more interested in, and less bored, by these programmes, and they claim to have a much greater understanding of politics. The views of EU1 citizens are situated somewhere between the NMS12 and American citizens, i.e. in terms of levels of interest in politics and levels of satisfaction. Overall, interest in EU-related news is high, % in the EU and % for US citizens. When asked to define the most important features of a media outlet, EU and US citizens find that their views coincide: they all specify reliability, objectivity, clarity of information and independence - in that sequence of importance. People in Europe spend less time watching television than American citizens. Access to news websites is popular, especially in the US (7%). The EU figure is %, and the most likely users of such a facility are the young, the highly-educated and those in metropolitan areas. page

5 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy Introduction The survey s fieldwork was carried out between the 1 th and the 27 th of February Over 0,000 randomly selected citizens aged 1 years and older were interviewed in the countries and in Croatia, Turkey, US. Telephone interviews were conducted in each country with the exception of the Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary Poland, Romania and Slovakia where, both telephone and face-to-face interviews were conducted (700 webcati and 00 F2F interviews) To correct for sampling disparities, a post-stratification weighting of the results was implemented based on important socio-demographic variables. Analytical Report, page

6 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The Gallup Organization Access to high-speed Internet High-speed Internet access in the EU1 (%) is much higher than in the new member states (%), but some of the southern countries in the EU1 are also lacking good coverage. Among the EU Member States, the proportion of those with high-speed Internet access is the highest in the Northern countries. There, the proportion of citizens with such access at home and/or in the workplace is even higher than in the US. Denmark (0%), Sweden (7%), Belgium and the Netherlands (both 72%), all have just as many, or more, citizens with Internet access as the US (72%). Access to fast / broadband internet connection, by EU Member State and Candidate Countries. (%) only at home only in workplace at both places have slow/dial up only neither DK/NA DK SE BE NL US LU UK FI FR SI AT MT EE EU1 DE IE CZ ES EU2 LV PT IT NMS10 HU PL CY NMS12 LT BG SK HR EL TR RO Q. Do you have access to a fast / broadband internet connection... On the basis of access to high-speed Internet, the NMS12 (%) and the candidate countries (Croatia and Hungary) are below the EU average. The country with the lowest proportion of people with such Internet access is Romania, where only a quarter of the citizens have access at home or in the workplace. With the EU average being %, the figures are also considerably lower in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Slovakia (only four out of 10 citizens have the facility). High-speed Internet access shows a strong correlation with both age and education. Approximately three-quarters of those aged below 0, the same number with a university degree, and even more of those still in education (7%) have high-speed access to the Internet. As expected, a similar number of employees have fast access. Almost six out of 10 EU citizens (%) have high-speed Internet access, but these figures are surpassed in the US, where 72% of citizens have such a facility. page

7 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy Access to cable and satellite TV Here, another divide exists - between Northern and Southern Europe. Many Southern countries, including Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Turkey, all lack widespread access to cable / satellite TV There are significant differences among EU Member States in regard to how citizens access TV channels. In countries that are more densely populated with cable, the use of satellite tends not to be widespread, and vice-versa. However, the most striking statistic is that of the countries not having access to either type of infrastructure. In Greece, the vast majority of the population (%) has neither cable nor satellite access. In France and Cyprus, two-thirds of the population are not supplied in this way either. Access to TV (satellite and cable) by EU Member State / Candidate Country (%) cable TV BE NL LU RO BG MT US HU LV SI IE EE SE DK NMS12 SK DE PT LT UK NMS10 AT EU2 FI EU1 PL CZ ES TR CY IT HR FR EL 2 TV by satellite TR AT IE DE HR UK US LU EU1 EU2 SE SK SI PL CY IT MT NMS10 DK CZ FR ES NMS12 HU EE PT RO LV NL LT EL BG FI BE Q1. Do you have access to... In both the EU and the US, the majority of the citizens access TV channels by cable. There is significant difference in the spread of the cable networks, however: while three-quarters (77%) of Americans access TV channels this way, less than half (1%) of Europeans do the same. Significantly less people watch TV via satellite; one-third (1%) of EU citizens, and not many more (0%) in the US. Analytical Report, page 7

8 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The Gallup Organization Television viewing habits Citizens in the newer Member States spend more time watching TV than their EU1 counterparts. Age and level of education are also two key factors. Regarding EU viewing habits, there are significant differences between East and West. Among some NMS12 and candidate countries, viewing habits are rather similar to those in the US, with high figures for those who watch TV for more than three hours per day. Figures in the EU1 (2%) are considerably lower. Among Western European countries, the British spend the most time watching TV; four out of 10 British citizens watch TV for more than three hours per day. Time spent watching TV on an average weekday, EU Member State / Candidate Country (%) More than hours 1 hour - hour Less than 1/2 hour - 1 hour TR BG US UK HR RO LT SK NL EE NMS12 CY HU BE EL NMS10 LV PL FR MT IE EU2 IT EU1 CZ PT FI SE DK LU SI DE AT ES Q1. On an average weekday, how much time, in total, do you spend watching television on your TV set? The time spent watching TV also correlates with age and the level of respondents education. The proportion of those who spend more than three hours a day watching television is the highest among those older than (%) and those with the least amount of formal education (7%). People living in the EU spend much less time watching television than their American counterparts. The majority of EU citizens watch television for periods between one and three hours per day, while a quarter watch for longer periods. Across the Atlantic, nearly half (%) of American citizens watch TV for more than three hours per day. page

9 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy Time spent watching TV during the working week, EU and the US (%) no time at all / nev er USA Less than 1 hour 1 1 hour - hour More than hours DK/NA 0 1 Q1. On an average weekday, how much time, in total, do you spend watching television on your TV set? No time at all + never = No time at all / never Less than 1/2 hour + 1/2 hour to 1 hour = Less than 1 hour More than 1 hour, up to 2 hours + More than 2 hours, up to hours = 1 hour hours More than hours, up to hours + More than hours, up to hours + More than hours = More than hours DK/NA = DK/NA Watching TV over the Internet is not common in either the EU or the US. In the latter, percent of people with Internet access watch TV in this way, while in the EU, the figure drops to just percent. Within EU Member States, there is no significant difference in the spread of people watching television over the Internet. The most-watched specialised channels are those reporting local or regional news; two-thirds of EU citizens, and a remarkable 7% of US citizens watch such channels. The second most-watched specialist channels are the ones devoted to films, which are watched by two-thirds (7%) of Americans, and more than half (%) of EU citizens. Analytical Report, page

10 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The Gallup Organization Preferred TV programmes Interest in the news is lower in the EU1 Member States than in the NMS12, but there are some dramatic differences, e.g. Portugal 0% and Germany 0%. When asked to select the three types of programme that they most like to watch, the majority of the respondents selected news bulletins. There was no significant difference between the EU and the US. Half of EU citizens selected news as one of their first three choices: a quarter selected news as the first choice, one in 10 as the second choice, and almost as many for their third preference. Prefered TV programmes, - News - by EU Member State and Candidate Country (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) first mention second mention third mention PT TR NL BE SE EL CY RO LU PL ES IT LT NMS12 BG DK SI NMS10 AT FR SK EU2 US EU1 HU FI IE CZ MT UK DE HR LV EE Q12. Can you tell me which types of TV programmes do you mainly watch/prefer to watch? Among EU Member States, interest in the news is generally lower (by %) in the EU1 countries. However, the Portuguese like news programmes more than any other nationality, with eight out of 10 choosing that type of viewing. They are followed by the Dutch, Belgians and Swedish (7%, 7% and %). Least likely to choose the news as their favourite type of viewing are citizens of two Baltic countries: the Estonians (2%) and Latvians (27%). Also with low rates of interest are the British (1%), Germans (0%) and Maltese (%) citizens. However, the Germans do watch an above average number of documentaries (1% vs. 11% EU average), as do the Brits (17%). Among the candidate countries, the proportion of news consumers is high in Turkey; here eight out of 10 (7%) citizens selected news programmes, while people living in Croatia are someway below the EU average (%), as only one in three Croatians (2%) prefers to watch news bulletins. page 10

11 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy Preferred TV programmes, - News, in the EU, by sex, age, level of education, locality and type of employment. (%) (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) first mention second mention third mention Male Female still in education metropolitan zone other town rural zone Selfemployed Employees Manual workers Not working Q12. Can you tell me which types of TV programmes do you mainly watch/prefer to watch? The youngest EU s citizens are the least likely to choose news as a preferred option; only one-third (%) selected the news as one of their first three preferences. The proportion of news consumers is the highest among the more highly-educated and the self-employed (% and % respectively). Looking at the US, almost half (7%) of US citizens selected news as one of their preferences: one in four Americans listed news as their first choice (2%), 1 percent as the second, and 7 percent as the third. In terms of second and third preferences, EU citizens opted for movies (%) and documentaries (0%), while Americans chose situation comedies (2%) and sports programmes (20%). Analytical Report, page 11

12 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The Gallup Organization Awareness of international news channels CNN and the BBC dominate the landscape, but the awareness levels are not particularly high (both 1% or under) Taking all EU Member States into consideration, CNN was the channel that first came to mind for the highest number of respondents (1%), followed by the BBC (10%). No other channel initially sprang to mind for respondents in any great numbers, although EuroNews and Skynews both managed a % recognition rating. Similar ratings went to National stations such as TF1 (France), RAI1 (Italy) and NTV (Turkey), with the latter having high ratings in both Germany and Austria (both above 10%). International news channels that immediately spring to mind, in the EU and the US (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) USA CNN, 1 other, 1 DK/NA, DK/NA, BBC, 10 NBC News, CNN, 27 n-tv, other, 1 Arte, 1 Canale, 1 T F1, RAI 1, EuroNews, Skynews, T VN, 2 ARD, 1 POLSAT, 1 N2, 1 CBS News, Fox News, 1 ABC News, 20 Q1a. Could you name all news television channels that not only broadcast in [NAME OF COUNTRY], that you have access to? First response Amongst citizens in all EU Member States, the Dutch (%), Swedish (%) and Danish (%) are those that are most aware of CNN. The least likely to be aware of the channel are the Italians (10%), French (10%) and Finnish (12%). The BBC has the most recognition in the UK, where more than half of the population (7%) are aware of its international credentials. The Irish are aware of this channel in nearly the same proportion (0%). Note: France and Italy with low awareness figures for BBC and CNN - are countries with access rates to cable and / or satellite of below 0%. CNN was the channel that first came to mind (27%) in the US, followed in this case by ABC News (20%). In the EU, among those who are aware of international news channels, more than one third (%) said that they watch the channel, immediately mentioned by them, on a daily basis. On the whole, threequarters of EU citizens, aware of international news channels, watch the news programme that first comes to mind on a weekly basis. Only a quarter of EU citizens mentioned an international channel that would deal fairly with European affairs. For that purpose, the BBC came to mind immediately for 7 percent of EU citizens, and fewer numbers mentioned the Euronews, CNN and Skynews channels (%, % and 2%, respectively). page 12

13 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy Interest in the news Although Americans spend more time watching TV than Europeans, people in the EU tend to watch more news programmes on a daily basis. Three-quarters (7%) of EU citizens watch television news programmes every day: a third of them (2%) several times a day, and almost one in two (%) once a day. The biggest news aficionados among EU Member States are the citizens of Italy, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark and Spain, where the proportion of daily news watchers reaches or exceeds 0% of the population. French and Czech citizens are not particularly keen on keeping in touch with the news in this way; in these countries only six out of 10 citizens are likely to watch TV news. News programmes on television, viewing habits by country (%) several times a day once every day several times per week once a week less often Never HR IT TR PT RO BG NL PL DK ES FI NMS12 LT HU EE NMS10 DE EU2 EU1 CY LV EL UK BE SK IE AT SI SE LU US MT CZ FR Q. On average, do you watch news programmes on television? Among EU citizens, those who spend the most time watching TV, that is, the elderly and those with the lowest levels of education, are also the most likely to watch news programmes. Half of the people older than (7%) watch several news programmes a day, while only one-fifth of those aged in the 1-2 bracket do this (1%). Across the Atlantic, two-thirds of US citizens (%) watch news programmes on a daily basis, and almost one-third (2%) also tune-in that frequently. As for people who never watch the news, the numbers are low for both EU and US citizens (% and 2%). Use of news websites One third (%) of EU citizens are likely to look at news websites on a frequent basis. On the other hand, 7% of US residents browse such websites. People living in EU1 countries use the Internet as a news channel (7%) much more than those in the NMS12 (2%). Luxemburgers, Swedish, Danish, French, Irish and British citizens are the most likely to use the Net in this way. Analytical Report, page 1

14 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The appeal of politics The Gallup Organization Average viewing rates of political programmes are similar in the EU1 and NMS12. A third of EU citizens (%) who frequently watch news programmes on TV or via the Internet, regularly watch political programmes (such as debates, interviews and analyses of the political scene) from among the items on offer. Approximately one-quarter of EU citizens watch these programmes only if there is nothing else of interest on TV, and a similar number (2%) never watch political programmes at all. Within the EU, there are no great variations between the EU1 and NMS12, but Finnish citizens are the least likely to watch political programmes systematically. Watching political programmes such as debates, interviews or analyses... (among those who watch news on TV or/and over internet, %) avoid them systematically systematically only before an election only if there are no other interesting programmes DK AT FI DE SI IE LV SE TR HU EL IT HR SK US NL EU1 RO EU2 BG NMS10 CZ FR NMS12 LT EE PL ES PT CY LU UK MT BE Q10. Generally speaking, do you watch political programmes such as debates, interviews or analyses...? Three out of 10 EU citizens (%) frequently watch programmes about current affairs, while almost in 10 Americans above the age of 1 (%) do so. Europeans are more likely than Americans to watch current affairs programmes if there is nothing else of interest on at the same time (27% versus 1%). Both in the EU and the US, a quarter of the population always avoid these programmes (2% and 2%, respectively). page 1

15 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy Interest in EU-related news and information There are no significant differences between the older and newer Member States, but some of the NMS12 have quickly lost interest in EU-related news Two-thirds of the people living in the EU (%), and more than half of U.S. residents (%) are interested in questions related to the EU. On the other hand, one in 10 of EU citizens and a quarter of Americans are not at interested in this issue. Interest in the EU: within the EU and the US (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Iinternet, %) USA not at all interested 2 Rather not interested Rather interested Very interested 2 DK/NA 1 Q. How interested would you say you are in questions related to Europe / the European Union. Are you...? Within EU Member States, the interest in EU affairs is the lowest in Estonia (7%) and Portugal (%); in these countries less than half of citizens find the EU to be an interesting topic. At the opposite end of the scale, eight out of 10 Luxemburgers and Bulgarians show a great deal of interest. In the candidate countries, Turkish citizens are just above the EU average (% vs. an EU average of %), while Croats tend to be much less interested than the average EU citizen (at % only). There is little difference between older and newer Member States, although France rejected the constitutional treaty, its citizens are still above the EU average in terms of interest in the Union. One fifth of European residents tend to avoid or skip European news in the media (between 1% and 22%), while a third of Americans do this (between 2% and %). Among EU Member States, the Brits are the most likely to skip European news; a third of the UK population does this regardless of which media outlet they are using. Analytical Report, page 1

16 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The Gallup Organization Attitudes to towards the way that news is presented Seventy percent of EU citizens like the way in which news is presented, but there is much criticism, both in the US and in the EU Respondents were asled about television in general (i.e. too many or too few programmes), the availability and quality of news programmes, and the presentation of political news. On the positive side, 70% of EU citizens like the way in which news is presented. However, there is much criticism, with 7% thinking that news programmes are too sensational and the same number feeling there is a lack of quality and originality. Comparing the NMS12 and the EU1 countries, the former are less likely to: Feel there is a lack of quality programmes (0% - NMS12, 72% - EU1, respectively) Agree there are not enough programmes about current affairs (2%, %) See the news programmes as too superficial (2%, %) Say there is not enough about the EU on TV (%, 0%) NMS12 citizens are also more bored by politics (%, %), more likely to say they do not understand the topic (2%, 2%) and show less interest (2%, %). Attitudes, % of views in the EU (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) News are too much based on sensationalism 1 I like the way news are presented 2 1 There aren t enough quality programmes on TV I am interested in politics There isn t enough information about the European Union Political programmes aren t creative enough or original News are too superficial I m bored by politics The choice of television programmes is too limited There is too much about politics in news programmes There are so many TV channels that the choice is difficult I would like more interactive programmes on the EU There aren t enough programmes on political current affairs I do not understand politics strongly agree tend to agree tend to disagree Strongly disagree DK/NA Q1. For each of the following statements, can you tell me if you strongly agree, tend to agree or tend to disagree, or you strongly disagree with them? In general, When it comes to criticising television output, there are great similarities between US and EU citizens. Almost identical views are held in several areas, such as: The news is too sensational There is insufficient quality on TV Political programmes are not creative or original enough In these three cases, approximately 0% or more of EU and US citizens either agree or strongly agree with those views. page 1

17 The Gallup Organization Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual Policy What do people want to know about the EU? There is a strong demand across all EU member states - for more information about the Union. The demand is especially strong in Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria. The topic that is of the most interest, where the vast majority of EU citizens (70%) would like to receive more information, is that concerning EU citizens rights. Thirty seven percent would like to receive much more, and % some more information. Also, a great many citizens - two-thirds - would like to obtain more information about the Union social, health and employment policies. In regard to the other areas of investigation, half (or more than half) of EU citizens would like to learn more about all of the topics mentioned below (except for the history of the EU): More information about..., % of EU citizens (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) Your rights as a European citizen 7 27 EU social, health and employment Policy 1 2 How other Europeans solve the difficulties they face The advantages and disadvantages of the enlargement of the EU 2 1 EU cultural, youth or education policies 2 T he role of the European Union in the world 2 How European Union Institutions work 2 7 The advantages and disadvantages if you moved to another EU M.State European economics in general 2 The European Union s foreign and defence policy 2 7 T he history of the European Union, of the building of Europe 1 0 much more information some more information already receive enough information DK/NA Q1. For each of the following, tell me if you would like to receive much more information, some more information, or if you already receive enough information? Overall, NMS12 citizens are more concerned about their rights (7%) than those in the EU1 (%). However, the level of interest only drops below 0% in Finland. Cypriot citizens are those who are the most vociferous in their demand to receive more information about their rights as an EU citizen; in total nine of 10 Cypriots share this opinion. The Greeks, Bulgarians and Romanians are almostv similarly positioned on this issue. With the EU average being at 70%, it is interesting to see where the greatest demand for more information about citizens rights lies. It is in those with the most education (7%) and those aged between 2 and. Interest drops dramatically over the age of (0%) and for those who left school before the age of 1 (7%). Men (72%) are more interested than women by percentage points. Analytical Report, page 17

18 Flash EB N o 1 Audio Visual survey The Gallup Organization Levels of interest in political and social affairs, and the EU The groups that show the highest rates of interest in political and social affairs, and the EU, mainly include older citizens, over, and those that have reached a higher level of education We examined respondents overall interest in political affairs, EU issues and the frequency with which they followed the news. By aggregating responses, we defined four groups: Very Active interest: includes those who follow political issues daily, are interested in European affairs, and regularly watch political programmes, debates etc. Active interest: as above but do not regularly watch political programmes, debates, etc. Passive interest: they do follow the news, but nothing else in this sector. No interest at all : self explanatory. Interest towards political and economic issues is the same in the new Member States and in the EU1. In the former, 1% of NMS12 citizens are very active, while another third (%) is active in this area. On the whole, half of the population of the EU1 is active in this area; with approximately one-fifth (1%) being very active and one-third active (%). It is primarily the Bulgarians, Italians, Romanians, Germans, Luxemburgers, Hungarians and Slovenians who have a significant interest in politics: six out of 10 residents of these countries are active in this area. On the other hand, only one-third of Estonians, and four out of 10 Portuguese, Maltese, British, Czechs Belgians and Finns are interested in political issues. When looking at attitudes displayed by these four groups towards the presentation, style and content of the news in the media, we do not find any differences. However, in the groups showing more interest in politics and public affairs, there is a much greater interest in programmes about the EU - either interactive or simply informative. Segments by attitudes in % Tend to agree + Strongly agree very active active passive very passive! I would like more interactiv e programmes on the EU were I could participate There isn't enough information about the European Union, its policies and institutio There aren t enough programmes on political current affairs such as debates, reports Q1. For each of the following statements, can you tell me if you strongly agree, tend to agree or tend to disagree, or you strongly disagree with them? In general, page 1