Survey: 76 percent of Slovaks trust mass media

Around 76 percent of Slovaks believe information presented in the mass media, while 51 percent of them consider public-service media to be more trustworthy than private outlets, but only a quarter of people are also interested in media ownership, according to a survey carried out by the Focus agency on behalf of CenPress-The Centre for Independent and Objective Journalism. "The survey confirmed that television is one of the key information sources on politics and society, with other media a relatively large distance behind," said Focus analyst Martin Slosiarik. The highest number of respondents - 41 percent - said that they use private television channel Markiza as a source of information on politics and society, ahead of public-service Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) on 33 percent, the private channel TV JOJ on 31 percent and the news-only channel TA3 on 22 percent. The fifth place overall went to RTVS's Radio Slovakia (31 percent), the first radio station in the chart, while the Novy Cas tabloid was the first newspaper/magazine in the rankings with 12 percent. Also surveyed were opinions on journalists as such. It was discovered that the profession is less respected than many others, including doctors, firefighters, scientists and farmers. On the other hand, it is more respected than the professions of police officer, clerical worker and priest, for example. "The most frequently stated elements that lower journalists' prestige include a lack of objectiveness, attempts to mislead and manipulate, unethical conduct, immorality and sensationalism at any cost," added Slosiarik.