Eighty-one percent want independent media - survey

TNS surveyed 2000 adults living in metro areas mid-February of 2011 and reports that 36% of people disagreed with the statement "You support the idea of the ANC's proposed Media Appeals Tribunal", while 33% did not have any opinion.

Regarding the statement "You support the idea of the Protection of Information Bill", 29% of people disagreed and 40% did not know. These figures have a margin of error of less than 2.5%.

Compare this against a study done in September 2010, which found that 81% of metro adults felt that it is important to have independent TV and radio stations and newspapers, so that people receive unbiased news; only 7% of these adults disagreed with this.

According to TNS, the high "don't know" responses to the February questions, viewed in the light of the high espoused need for independent media, suggest that there are very many people who do not yet grasp the impact that the two measures will have on the independence of the media.

How do different demographic groups feel?

There are significant differences between race groups whereas the different genders tend to feel the same:

• I support the idea of the ANC's proposed Media Appeals Tribunal - agree

  • Blacks - 41% agree (but 26% disagree, with 33% say "don't know)
    
  • Black male - 45%
    
  • Black female - 37%

• Whites - 13% (here 57% disagree with 30% saying "don't know)

  • White male - 13%
    
  • White female - 13%

• Coloureds - 13% (48% disagree with 39% saying "don't know")

  • Coloured male - 17%
    
  • Coloured female - 10%

• Indians/Asians - 20% (50% disagree with 30% saying "don't know")

  • Indians/Asian male - 13%

  • Indians/Asian female - 26%

Hence, while support for the tribunal is much higher amongst blacks than amongst other race groups, there is still a third saying "don't know".

Interestingly, points out TNS, responses to the statement "You support the idea of the Protection of Information Bill" did not show significant differences between race or gender groups, all lying between 28% and 32%. However, this is not true of the disagree and "don't know" responses:

• I do NOT support the idea of the Protection of Information Bill

  • Blacks - 27% (Don't know - 42%)
    
  • Whites - 38% (Don't know - 32%)
    
  • Coloureds - 21% (Don't know - 50%)

  • Indians/Asians - 39% (Don't know - 29%)

Younger people are more likely to support the MAT but there are no age differences with respect to support for the Protection of Information Bill. Middle-income groups felt somewhat more positive about the MAT.

There are some differences by area, with people in Johannesburg feeling more positive about the MAT and Protection of Information Bill, those in Cape Town feeling more negative about MAT, and people on the East Rand being more opposed to MAT. Most of these regional differences are due to the differing racial compositions of the different areas.

While there are few other demographic differences, there are large differences between the different language groups, and even within the black language groups, with regards to MAT.

Need much more education, debate

According to TNS, it is clear that people are divided on the issues of information protection and MAT - which journalists believe will result in a mechanism which could be used to exercise control over the press and the information it gathers and publishes. However, it is also evident that many people are not clear on what these measures actually mean: the need for much more education and debate is evident.