Indians more sure of news reporting accuracy

Indians are more positive about the accuracy and honesty of government or publicly-funded news reporting than any other country in the world, a poll on press freedom says.

Fifty-seven per cent of Indians gave a "good" performance rating to public news organisations in the BBC survey, compared with 39% globally.

Private, for-profit news organisations are viewed more favourably, with 64% rating their performance "good" (versus 43% globally), although this is slightly less positive than the response in Africa.

Fifty-seven per cent of Indians agree that growing consolidation of private media ownership is a major issue "because you often see owners' political views emerge in the news", while only 30% agree with the opposing view that "media owners do not interfere with the news content" (14% did not answer).

Fifty-five per cent think "it is important that people like to have a say in what gets reported in the news", while 33% think "decisions as to which stories get reported in the news are best left to news organisations", with a further 12% unable to answer.

India is one of only three countries where people who believe stability is more important than press freedom outnumber those who believe freedom is more important.

Forty-eight per cent of Indians (versus 40% globally) put stability first, while 41% (56% globally) put freedom first. A further 11% did not answer this question.

In terms of its ability to report the news accurately and without bias, the Indian media is perceived as freer than that of almost any other nation in the survey.

Seventy-two per cent of Indians give a high freedom rating, compared with 56% worldwide. Only 10% give a low freedom rating, compared with 19% globally.

World opinion is divided on the importance of press freedom, according to the BBC World Service poll of 11,344 people across 14 countries.

While an average of 56% across all countries think that freedom of the press is very important to ensure a free society, 40% believe that social harmony and peace are more important, even if it means controlling what is reported for the greater good.

Fifty-six per cent of people in the 14 countries polled think the press and media in their country is free to report the news accurately without bias. Only 19% say there is little or no media freedom in their country.

Of the countries where press freedom is most highly valued, Western developed countries are more critical of how honestly and accurately the news is reported, they include Germany (28% average rating for good performance of public and private media), Great Britain 29%), and the USA (29%) while Venezuela (44%), South Africa (49%) Nigeria (58%), and Kenya (61%) rate the media performance more positively.

In countries where social stability is more highly valued, those surveyed in India (61%) and the UAE (52%) believe the news is being reported honestly, contrasting with a more negative view of press performance in Russia (27%), Mexico (28%), Brazil (31%) and Singapore (37%).