The number of people believing that the government should instead have
the right to prevent the media from publishing things, which ”might harm the
society” has doubled, from 16% to 33%.
This is contained in a latest Afrobarometer survey report released by Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa).
According to the survey, since 2008 South Africans had shifted substantially in their views on media freedom.
“While the latest survey found that six out of 10 (61%) South Africans still believe that the media have a right to publish without government control, this is down from almost 80% of the adult population in 2008,” read IDASA statement in part. “The number of people believing that the government should instead have the right to prevent the media from publishing things which ”might harm the society” has doubled, from 16% to 33%. At the same time the number of people believing that the media should investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption has gone up from 59% to 70%.”
According to the survey, a large majority of South Africans (81%) think that the media were either somewhat or very effective in revealing corruption, and they continue to trust the media, both public and private.
“The coincidence of quite high trust levels, a belief that the media should investigate corruption and yet an increasing willingness to tolerate government intervention suggests that the public do make this judgement on other forms of media coverage and not merely the investigative or watchdog role,”
said Graham, Idasa executive director of Idasa. “A debate on the role of the media in society is underway, and these results may be affected by that debate but it is clearly one South Africans should have.”
The Afrobarometer is a comparative series of public attitude surveys, covering up to 35 African countries in Round 5 (2011-2013). It measures public attitudes on democracy and its alternatives, evaluations of the quality of governance and economic performance. In addition the survey assesses the views of the electorate on critical political issues in the surveyed countries. The survey analysis also provides comparisons over time (from 1999 to 2011/12).
Afrobarometer studies allow analysts to investigate a range of variables, ranging from trust in leaders and institutions, to levels of poverty, corruption and access to the media which might have an influence on the shifts in attitudes towards media freedom which have occurred.
Idasa is an independent public interest organisation committed to building sustainable democratic societies in collaboration with African and global partners.
This is contained in a latest Afrobarometer survey report released by Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa).
According to the survey, since 2008 South Africans had shifted substantially in their views on media freedom.
“While the latest survey found that six out of 10 (61%) South Africans still believe that the media have a right to publish without government control, this is down from almost 80% of the adult population in 2008,” read IDASA statement in part. “The number of people believing that the government should instead have the right to prevent the media from publishing things which ”might harm the society” has doubled, from 16% to 33%. At the same time the number of people believing that the media should investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption has gone up from 59% to 70%.”
According to the survey, a large majority of South Africans (81%) think that the media were either somewhat or very effective in revealing corruption, and they continue to trust the media, both public and private.
“The coincidence of quite high trust levels, a belief that the media should investigate corruption and yet an increasing willingness to tolerate government intervention suggests that the public do make this judgement on other forms of media coverage and not merely the investigative or watchdog role,”
said Graham, Idasa executive director of Idasa. “A debate on the role of the media in society is underway, and these results may be affected by that debate but it is clearly one South Africans should have.”
The Afrobarometer is a comparative series of public attitude surveys, covering up to 35 African countries in Round 5 (2011-2013). It measures public attitudes on democracy and its alternatives, evaluations of the quality of governance and economic performance. In addition the survey assesses the views of the electorate on critical political issues in the surveyed countries. The survey analysis also provides comparisons over time (from 1999 to 2011/12).
Afrobarometer studies allow analysts to investigate a range of variables, ranging from trust in leaders and institutions, to levels of poverty, corruption and access to the media which might have an influence on the shifts in attitudes towards media freedom which have occurred.
Idasa is an independent public interest organisation committed to building sustainable democratic societies in collaboration with African and global partners.
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