By Jack Wilson
Local Journalism Initiative
A recent study from the universities of Sherbrooke and Ottawa reported a stark decline in trust in the media among Quebecers. The survey of 1,598 residents revealed that 45 per cent of the population believes journalists contribute sometimes or often to spreading false information and found a widespread belief in multiple misconceptions of news media’s functioning.
“There’s a lowering of trust in the media sometimes linked to a misunderstanding of journalists’ independence,” said Marie-Eve Carignan, the Université de Sherbrooke journalism and communication professor who co-authored the study alongside University of Ottawa professor Marc-François Bernier. Indeed 40 per cent of those surveyed reported believing that public-funded media is less critical of government, while just 38 per cent said the funding didn’t impact reporting. Similarly, only a minority of participants believed journalism to be independent of financial pressures.
“There might be a need to explain journalistic independence,” Carignan said. “There are a lot of people who might not understand the structure of the media, who might not understand where government money goes.” In reality, “media administration is far from journalists’ daily work,” she said.
The survey, conducted by Léger Opinion, was offered in both French and English. Unlike many other surveys on the topic, Carignan said this one delved deeper than simply asking the public whether or not it found the media credible. “One person or another doesn’t have the same definition of credibility,” she said.
